On Thursday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international initiative to send humanitarian aid directly to Gaza, denounced that Israel is exerting pressure to prevent its ships from sailing to the Palestinian territory.
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"Israel prevented the departure from Istanbul of the Flotilla ships with hundreds of human rights observers, international press, and 5,500 tons of humanitarian aid," said "Heading to Gaza," a Spanish organization taking part in the coalition.
The Freedom Flotilla accuses the Zionist state of pressuring Guinea-Bissau to remove the flag from the Akdeniz ferry, the flotilla's flagship that has not been able to leave the Tuzla shipyards in Istanbul since April.
Another ship affected by Israeli pressure is the cargo ship Anadolu, also flagged in Guinea-Bissau, which is currently anchored in the roadstead in front of the port of Iskenderun, where it has loaded more than five thousand tons of humanitarian aid destined for Gaza.
On April 25, Guinea-Bissau authorities sent an inspector to Istanbul. A day later, after an unusual inspection of the humanitarian ship, they announced the withdrawal of the flag.
Finding no technical impediment for the ship to sail, the Guinean authorities demanded that the Humanitarian Relief Foundation İnsani Yardım Vakfı (IHH), a Turkish organization that owns the ship, sign a document pledging not to sail to Gaza. It, however, refused that request.
The decision to remove the flag is not final yet, while the IHH Foundation continues to negotiate with Guinea-Bissau to find a solution, IHH spokesperson Mustafa Özbek said.
"We are making progress with Guinea. If efforts are unsuccessful, flags from other countries will be acquired. Our goal is to set sail within a few days," he pointed out.
On April 26, a spokesperson for the Israeli Army said that any arrival of aid to Gaza other than by air, land crossings or the Israeli port of Ashdod will be considered a "provocation," as reported by EFE agency.
In a joint statement issued that same day, United Nations special rapporteurs Francesca Albanese, Michael Fakhri, and Balakrishnan Rajagopal called on Israel to "comply with international law, including recent orders from the International Court of Justice, on ensuring the unhindered arrival of humanitarian aid" for the Gazan population.