Gaza flotilla member: It's a 'last resort' but vital for awareness

A member of the Global Sumud Flotilla has told CGTN the flotilla is "the worst way" to get aid into Gaza – but is "a last resort" and raises awareness of the situation.

With delegations from 44 countries, the flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try and break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are on board – and Yusuf Omar was livestreaming from his boat when it was hit by drones in Tunisian waters.

"It's terrifying! I was sleeping on the top deck when a drone struck. I woke up to a ball of flames, I thought I was gonna lose my life, screaming for help," Seen.tv co-founder Omar told CGTN Europe.

"Fortunately, we had no casualties. In many respects it was a firework comparative to the kinds of ammunition that Israel is dropping on Gaza and its civilians every single day."

Flotilla members blamed Israel for the attack. Israel did not respond to those claims. 

"Who in the world would have an interest in bombing a civilian mission carrying food, baby formula, medicine to Gaza? Who is actively trying to starve a population of two million people? Who's using food as a weapon of war? 

"I think while it's difficult to confirm and it would never be admitted, it's quite clear to most that have investigated this case that Israel is behind these attacks."

Although some commentators have suggested the flotilla coverage has distracted from the bombing of Gaza itself, Omar disagreed. 

"I don't think we should undermine or underestimate audiences. People have the capability to focus on two things at the same time – the actual genocide that's taking place and the flotilla mission. 

"The reality is for the last two years, we've watched a livestreamed genocide take place in Gaza, and in many respects, people see and understand and know that footage. We understand that kids are being buried in rubble. We understand that Gaza per capita has more [child] amputations, according to the UN, than anywhere on earth. 

"The flotilla story is different – it's a story of hope, of possibility, of everyday civilians trying to break the siege. So I don't see it as a distraction. I think they are intertwined. People talking about the flotilla are people talking about Gaza." 

While aware of the flotilla's publicity value, Omar – who is now back home in Australia – fully acknowledged that its main role is symbolic rather than logistical, and far from the best way to get aid into Gaza.

"I think it's a last resort. I think this is a result of international governments utterly failing. The United Nations have been saying for over a year now, the idea that food is being used as a weapon of war, that Israel is deliberately starving Gaza. This is a genocide case that started so long ago when South Africa took this case to ICJ [International Court of Justice]. 

"Is it the best way? No, of course it's not. This is the worst way to get food into Gaza. You know what the easiest way is? It's to let the food in that's at the borders, tons and tons and tons of food. It's to let organizations like the United Nations do their jobs. They've been doing this for decades. They say they've got months and months of food and aid supplies ready to go. 

"This is probably the most inefficient way to do things – traveling 3,000 kilometers across the Mediterranean Sea with civilian fishing yachts and little recreational vessels that have got absolutely no purpose during a mission like this. No, I'd say it's the worst way to do this. It's the most inefficient. It's the most dangerous. It's awful. But what other choice do we have at this stage?"