'Gaza's children are being starved to death': why I'm trying to break Israel's illegal siege

Thiago Ávila is one of the organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of citizens and activists who have set sail towards Gaza carrying humanitarian aid in the hope of breaking the siege of the strip by Israeli forces. Subscribe ► http://bit.ly/subscribegdn In August, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declared an “entirely man-made” famine taking place in Gaza City and surrounding areas. This month a UN independent commission of inquiry (COI) found that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction, as well as starvation and deaths caused by restrictions on food and medicines. Israel’s foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the report and called for the COI to be abolished. Ávila says: “Right now, we’re seeing a change in the world, we see the people mobilising.” Italian dockworkers in Genoa have threatened to “shut down all of Europe” and block all shipments to Israel if communication with the aid flotilla is lost, while 16 countries have issued a statement demanding protection for the flotilla and respect for international humanitarian law. “People are fed up of seeing children being starved to death, of shelters being bombed, of hospitals being bombed, of schools being bombed,” Ávila says. “It’s important that we make sure people understand that they have the potential to promote change.” #gaza #gazaaid #gazaflotilla #israel #palestine #gazagenocide