A ruthless blockade

Pakistan has joined the chorus of voices condemning Israel's latest interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail to deliver much-needed aid to the besieged people of Gaza. The flotilla — a humanitarian mission of 45 vessels carrying activists, politicians and relief workers from around the world — represents not just an attempt to provide food and medicine, but also an act of solidarity with a population subjected to relentless deprivation. The fact that Israeli forces once again intercepted these ships, seizing passengers and preventing aid from reaching its destination, shows the sheer cruelty of the ongoing blockade.

This is not the first time Israel has used brute force to stop such efforts. Over the years, at least 39 aid-carrying vessels have been similarly intercepted, their supplies confiscated and volunteers arrested. Each episode demonstrates how Israel has weaponised its control of Gaza's borders. That global figures, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, and Pakistani representatives such as former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, joined this flotilla only highlights the breadth of international concern. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's condemnation, though timely, must be more than ritualistic. Pakistan, along with other Muslim and developing nations, needs to amplify this outrage in multilateral forums — particularly the UN — and push for meaningful accountability. Words of solidarity are important, but they must be followed with sustained diplomatic pressure, coordination with like-minded states and advocacy for stronger sanctions against the Israeli war machine.

The wider international community, especially the Western powers who continue to shield Israel diplomatically, must be reminded that their silence amounts to complicity. A humanitarian flotilla cannot possibly be construed as a threat — unless one accepts the logic that starvation itself has become a tool of war. By treating aid workers as criminals, Israel has once again laid bare its disdain for international law.