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Main events on May 2nd
- At least 43 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the early hours of Friday.
- A ship carrying aid to Gaza in a bid to break Israel’s blockade was been hit by drones in international waters off Malta, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group that organised the mission.
- The ICJ concluded public hearings into what Israel’s obligations are regarding allowing UN agencies and other relief groups to work in the Palestinian territory it occupies.
- Israel’s government and army have decided to expand their military operation in Gaza, calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
- At least four people have been killed as a result of an Israeli strike in Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida governorate, while a separate strike targeted the vicinity of a village in Syria’s Hama countryside.
- Seven US strikes hit the Ras Isa oil port in as-Salif district in Hodeidah, as the Houthis claimed responsibility for launching two missiles towards northern Israel.
Attack on Freedom Flotilla an ‘extremely illegal act’ under international law
The drone attack on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s vessel while in international waters should be regarded as an “extremely illegal act”, Craig Murray, former head of maritime at the United Kingdom Foreign Ministry, told Al Jazeera.
“It’s a blatant violation of international law and I find the silence on the part of Western powers absolutely remarkable,” Murray said.
“Any civilian ship going about its lawful business – and indeed any military ship on the high seas – has the right to proceed without being attacked, unless you are in a state of war.”
Murray added that Western powers “will know exactly where these drones came from, it’s not a mystery,” but chose to remain silent in a show of “massive hypocrisy”.
A ship carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip sent out a distress signal overnight after it was bombed by drones in international waters near Malta. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the organizer of the voyage, is blaming Israel for the attack, which set the ship on fire, punched a substantial breach in its hull and cut off communication with those aboard.
“We are dealing with a brutal attack on an innocent ship,” retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright, who was in Malta waiting to board the flotilla, tells Democracy Now!
“While we cannot yet identify the source of the drones, there is no doubt in my mind that there is a history of violence that has been directed toward the flotillas from the state of Israel.” The climate activist Greta Thunberg was also set to join the flotilla and said in an online video that activists would “continue to do everything in our power to do our part to demand a free Palestine and demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor.”
