EU Warns Against Gaza Aid Flotillas, Citing Safety Risks

TDT | Manama

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The European Union has urged caution over aid flotillas sailing toward Gaza, saying such missions could worsen tensions and put participants in danger.

EU spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova said on Monday that while the bloc supports humanitarian assistance, “flotillas like this can escalate the situation, and they also put their participants at risk.”

Instead, the EU says aid should be delivered through established partner organisations already working on the ground. “We try to deliver humanitarian aid on a larger scale, keeping communication channels with Israel open,” Hrncirova explained.

Her remarks came as a Gaza-bound flotilla of about 20 boats — carrying humanitarian supplies and activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg — set sail from Barcelona last week. The fleet is expected to reach Gaza by mid-September.

Israel previously blocked two similar attempts to deliver aid by sea in June and July.

The crisis in Gaza continues to deepen, with the United Nations warning of famine. More than 500,000 people are facing “catastrophic” conditions as Israel presses its military campaign against Hamas, following the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attacks.

Although the EU has called on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, internal divisions among the bloc’s 27 member states have limited its influence.