Umut Can Fırtına
Israel’s imposition of starvation on the Gaza Strip continues, while the world’s hypocritical attitude, unable to go beyond rhetoric and symbolic gestures against the genocide, persists. The West was unable to prevent the symbolic step of ‘recognising the State of Palestine’ at the 80th United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, which turned into a diplomatic show. Arab and Muslim countries applauded US President Donald Trump’s ‘American Plan’ to turn Gaza into a ‘real estate paradise’. Countries that sent ships to ‘protect’ the attacked Sumud Flotilla are now trying to dissuade those on board from breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
MANY THANKS TO TRUMP
US President Trump and eight Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, including Turkey, held a meeting on Gaza. The 21-point Gaza plan by the US, the biggest supporter of the genocide Israel has been carrying out in Gaza for nearly two years, received the full support of the leaders of eight countries, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The final communiqué, in which the leaders repeatedly thanked Trump, referred to ‘the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and its serious consequences for the region,’ but did not mention Israel.
NO MENTION OF ISRAEL
According to reports in the Israeli media, the plan, which broadly coincides with the ‘day after plan’ prepared by Trump’s real estate tycoon son-in-law Jared Kushner and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for post-war Gaza, envisages ‘a Hamas-free Gaza administration’ and ‘the deployment of soldiers from regional countries’.
Following attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, Spain and Italy sent warships from their navies to assist and protect the flotilla.
SECOND SHIP FROM ITALY
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced that they would send a second navy ship after the Sumud Flotilla was attacked while sailing off the coast of Crete, Greece. Speaking in Parliament, Crosetto said, ‘We sent one ship, another is on its way, we are prepared for any eventuality.’ Crosetto said, ‘We cannot guarantee the safety of our citizens if they enter the territorial waters of other countries.’
CALLED FOR GIVING UP
Warning activists on the flotilla about attempting to break Israel’s blockade, Crosetto called on them to accept Italy’s offer to deliver the aid supplies on the boats indirectly. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly, condemned the attack and accused those on the flotilla of ‘irresponsible behaviour.’ Meloni had proposed that the aid be delivered to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Cyprus and then transported to Gaza via the church.
THIRD ATTACK AGAINST THE FLOTILLA
The flotilla, consisting of a total of 51 ships and boats carrying activists from 45 countries and expected to reach the Gaza coast towards the end of this month, had set sail from Barcelona, Spain, on 31 August. Israel had threatened that it would not allow the flotilla to ‘enter an active war zone and a naval blockade.’
The flotilla, which had been attacked twice before, was attacked by drones in international waters off Crete on Tuesday night. Some boats in the flotilla were damaged by sound bombs and chemicals dropped from the drones, and activists blamed Israel for the attack. There has been no statement from Israel regarding the attack.
PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENTS
Following the attack, Italian Minister Crosetto strongly condemned the attack and announced that an Italian Navy vessel had been dispatched to assist and protect the flotilla. The opposition and Italian press stated that the government had taken this decision due to public reaction, which had spilled onto the streets in the form of nationwide strikes and protests at the beginning of the week.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly, also announced that a military vessel would depart from his country’s Cartagena Port today to protect the Sumud Fleet. In Spain, which has taken the most concrete steps in Europe, such as a full arms embargo on Israel, Prime Minister Sanchez’s coalition government partners also supported the decision.
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THEY ARE TRYING TO DESTROY US FROM WITHIN
Yasemin Acar, an activist with the Sumud Flotilla, spoke to BirGün about the attack on the flotilla and Italy and Spain’s decision to send ships. Acar was one of eight activists detained in June on the Madleen, which was raided by Israel off the coast of Gaza.
Acar stated that Italy was trying to dissuade the flotilla from its plan to break the blockade, saying, ‘They are trying to undermine us from within.’ ‘This is psychological warfare,’ said Acar, adding:
“They tried to bomb us, they did everything, but they couldn’t destroy us from the outside, we continued on our way. This has been going on for months; they bombed us before. They caught us on the Madleen, they put us in prison. The moment we got out of prison, we started preparing the Sumud Flotilla. They know so well that we will not give up on breaking this blockade, which is why they are trying to destroy us from within, and we are aware of this effort.”
WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN FOR TWO YEARS?
Drawing attention to the West’s hypocritical stance on Gaza, Acar emphasised that a similar attitude exists in Muslim countries. Acar continued:
“If Spain and Italy wanted to help, they would help the Palestinian people. We don’t need protection. If anyone needs protection, it is the Palestinian people. The Palestinian people have been experiencing genocide for two years, tens of thousands of people have been killed. They are currently being left without food or water. You can neither enter nor leave, all journalists are being killed, they are all being silenced. If they are so well-intentioned, why haven’t they cut ties with Israel for two years?”
Emphasising that the world has been a spectator to the genocide in Gaza for two years, Acar said, “Unfortunately, I find it difficult to believe that there is any goodwill or conscience left in the world. We were bombed in international waters, and no one came. If they had good intentions, wouldn’t they protect us there? The whole world is watching us, why are they trying to protect us now? If they had protected the Palestinian people, we wouldn’t have had to do this. What soldiers and armies would do, ordinary civilians are doing. They forced us into this.”
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İkiyüzlü dünya bizi mecbur bıraktı, published in BirGün newspaper on September 26, 2025.
