From our correspondent in Strasbourg – As expected, the Israeli boarding of the new Global Sumud Flotilla expedition took place. The second flotilla, comprising around 60 civilian vessels, attempted to break through the Israeli naval blockade to deliver humanitarian aid to the suffering population of the Gaza Strip. It had set sail from Sicily on Sunday and, in the early hours of this morning (30 April), was intercepted in international waters, off the coast of Cyprus, over a thousand kilometres from the Gaza coast.
The European Union executive’s tentative comments came after being pressed during the Commission’s daily press briefing. The spokesperson for foreign affairs and the common security policy, Anouar El Anouni, reiterated what the spokesperson for humanitarian affairs, Eva Hrncirova, had said three days ago: while acknowledging the need to alleviate suffering in Gaza, the EU continues to “discourage these ‘flotillas’ as a means of delivering humanitarian aid because they entail an inherent risk.” As if seeking to justify political inaction with logistical arguments, the spokesperson chose instead to highlight the “44 humanitarian flights” organised by the EU, while issuing a general appeal to the Israeli authorities to respect international law.
Speaking from the European Parliament, which was in plenary session, Five Star Movement MEP Danilo Della Valle denounced a climate of outright “censorship” within the Parliament. “We are forbidden from tabling amendments, and we are forbidden from voting on resolutions concerning events in the Middle East, given that since the start of this parliamentary term, we have voted on twenty resolutions on Ukraine and none on Israel.”
The reactions from the Left group were even harsher, describing the boarding as an act of “state piracy in the Mediterranean.” The Irish MEP responsible for relations with the State of Israel, Lynn Boylan, accused European leaders of standing by while civilian vessels are seized in international waters: “Condemnation is not enough; we need the suspension of the Association Agreement and immediate sanctions.”
The French colleague Rima Hassan has pointed the finger at the “passivity, if not complicity, of European leaders”: the MEP, who had undertaken the previous mission in October 2025 and had been arrested by the Israeli authorities, was keen to emphasise that “the flotilla’s action, as well as being legitimate, responds to political and humanitarian imperatives of the highest priority: breaking the blockade of Gaza, opening a humanitarian corridor and denouncing the genocide and the international community’s inaction regarding the crimes committed by Israel.” A sentiment shared by her colleague Emma Fourreau, who provocatively asked whether the Mediterranean Sea “now belongs to Israel” and described the European Union’s silence as “cowardly.”
“Yet another affront to the international community, in a dramatic spiral that must be stopped.” The head of the Democratic Party delegation to the European Parliament, Nicola Zingaretti, calls on Europe to act responsibly and uses unequivocal words: “With Netanyahu in power, there will never be peace or security for Israel itself, for the Palestinians or for the whole world.”
While the Commission hides behind formal references to the Treaties, humanitarian aid, and a bureaucratic caution that smacks of helplessness, the reality is that European citizens are being abducted on the high seas, and there is an urgent need for justice which, for the time being, seems to be out of the question.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
