"Accept the mediation proposal." This time, the appeal to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has been en route to Gaza for days to deliver aid to the Palestinians, comes from Sergio Mattarella . But it is not being heeded by the activists.
In order to safeguard the value of the initiative undertaken by the Flotilla, a value that has been expressed with wide resonance and significance, it seems necessary to maintain the objective of delivering the aid collected to the suffering population. I would like to make a particularly pressing appeal to the women and men of the Flotilla to accept the willingness offered by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem —which is also firmly and courageously committed to supporting the people of Gaza—to carry out the task of safely delivering what solidarity has destined for the children, women, and men of Gaza.
This is the same solution Giorgia Meloni recently discussed in New York, on the sidelines of the UN meeting: the delivery of aid to Cyprus to open a humanitarian corridor. The Head of State's appeal came after a phone call with the Prime Minister, in which Mattarella reportedly outlined the purpose of his initiative. "The value of human life, which seems to have lost all meaning in Gaza, where it is gravely trampled upon, causing inhumane suffering for the population, requires us to avoid putting the safety of any person at risk ," the Head of State declared.
A call for responsibility to avoid endangering the safety of activists.
Flotilla rejected the proposal: "We cannot accept this proposal because it is intended to prevent our vessels from sailing in international waters and risking attack," said Italian spokesperson Maria Elena Delia . "The issue of aid is extremely important," she emphasized. "We are ready to consider mediation, but we will not change course because it would mean admitting that a government is being allowed to operate illegally without being able to do anything."
Again: " It's like saying: if you want to save yourselves, we can't ask those who attack you not to do so, even though it's a crime; we ask you to move away. This legal issue isn't just a matter of principle, it's substantial. Israel is committing genocide without any of our governments having yet had the courage to impose sanctions, impose an arms embargo, or even cut off some trade relations. If one of these solutions could be considered, we'd be very happy, but we're not doing anything wrong. "
