Brussels – The Handala Association – Belgium (vzw) has strongly condemned what it described as a “brutal attack” by Israeli occupation forces against the Global Sumud Flotilla, which carried international activists and urgent humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the association said the assault, which included the arbitrary arrest of activists and seizure of the flotilla’s ships, was a “flagrant violation of international law and the legitimate right of peoples to resist siege and occupation.”
The organization accused the Belgian government and the European Union of “silence and complicity” in Israel’s actions, warning that their failure to take decisive measures has enabled the continuation of crimes against Palestinian civilians.
The Handala Association called on Belgium, the EU, and international authorities to:
- Condemn the Israeli attack and demand the release of all detained activists with full diplomatic protection.
- Take urgent steps to establish a safe humanitarian corridor into Gaza to ensure aid delivery.
- Recognize and support civilian efforts to break the blockade rather than criminalize them.
- Fulfill legal obligations under the Geneva Conventions and International Court of Justice rulings, which declared the Israeli occupation illegal.
- Act against Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war, considered a war crime under the Rome Statute.
- Support the Palestinian right to self-determination and pressure Israel through political, economic, and financial measures.
The group stressed that the inaction of European governments has emboldened Israel to escalate its aggression, warning that continued complicity makes them “partners in the ongoing crimes against humanity in Palestine.”
“It is time for Belgium and the European Union to shoulder their moral and legal responsibilities and take clear and concrete actions to end the blockade and occupation, restoring the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and dignity,” the association concluded.
