Syllabus

GS 2: Effect of policies and politics of countries on India’s interests

Context: 

Recently, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced that it had deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg after seizing the ship, Madleen, that she was on the day before.

More on the News:

• The Madleen, a British-flagged ship, left Italy last week carrying aid for people in war-torn Gaza. 
• It had twelve passengers on board, including Greta Thunberg and was supported by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a global group working to end what it calls “the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.”
• Israel showed relative restraint by detaining the passengers and choosing to deport them. This is very different from what happened last month when another FFC-backed ship, the ‘Conscience’, tried to deliver aid to Gaza. 
• The flotilla was initially meant to include two additional ships but both faced engine problems before departure, leading to speculation and rumours of Israeli sabotage.
• On May 2, the ship ‘Conscience’ was attacked by a drone in international waters near Malta. The ship blamed Israel for the attack.

About Gaza Freedom Flotilla

• According to a BBC report, the Freedom Flotilla carried 10,000 tonnes of supplies, including school materials, construction goods and two large electricity generators. 
• This directly challenged Israel’s ban on a wide range of items meant to maintain pressure on Hamas. 
• The flotilla aimed to highlight the humanitarian crisis and draw global attention to what it called an illegal blockade.
• The flotilla effort was led by the “Free Gaza Movement”, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups opposing the Israeli blockade and the “Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH)”. 
• Israel had labelled the IHH as a terrorist organization with alleged ties to Hamas. However, Turkey rejected this claim, recognising the IHH as a legitimate humanitarian group and urging Israel to allow the flotilla safe passage.
• Israel, concerned about the cargo, wanted to inspect the ships to ensure they were not carrying construction materials, weapons, or cash. 
• According to a BBC report, Israel asked the flotilla to dock at the port of ‘Ashdod’, offering to transport all approved humanitarian goods to Gaza by road.

Early Background

• Israel's blockade of Gaza began in the 1990s, but it became much stricter after Hamas took control of the region in 2007. That same year, Egypt also closed the Rafah crossing into Gaza. 
• Physical barriers were built around the 365 sq km Gaza Strip, located in the southwestern part of Palestine.
• Israel has also enforced a naval blockade, preventing foreign ships from reaching Gaza and stopping local boats from leaving its coastal waters. 
• This blockade was tightened further in October 2023 after Hamas launched attacks on Israel. In response, Israel cut off the supply of food, water, fuel, and electricity to Gaza.