The Fleet of Steadfastness... A Will in the Face of Annihilation

The recent Fleet of Steadfastness, composed of dozens of ships and hundreds of foreign solidarity activists, came as an expression of the will of free peoples in confronting the barbarism and genocide practiced by the occupation army against our people in the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023. The International Court of Justice described the occupation's practices as genocide and also included the war of starvation within its scope. The International Criminal Court considered that the occupying state practices war crimes and crimes against humanity, and has issued two arrest warrants against both Netanyahu and Gallant, who have become wanted by international justice. The International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinion in June 2024, considered the occupation's practices from 1967 until the moment the decision was issued as illegal, and the occupation was described as military and settlement-based, practicing racial discrimination, and in October 2025, the crime of genocide was added. Many international human rights and humanitarian organizations have issued numerous statements and positions confirming the involvement of the occupying state in the crime of genocide. This was due to the role of human rights organizations and civil society, which exposed the occupation's practices and carried out distinguished professional work through documentation, filing cases, media activism, and using pressure and influence on members of parliaments and governments in many countries around the world. The role of human rights organizations has been strengthened through international popular solidarity forces composed of a wide spectrum of non-governmental, human rights, trade union, political, and media organizations. These components, including the student movement, especially in American universities, played a distinguished role in strengthening the Palestinian national narrative and dismantling the Zionist and racist narrative. The interception of many blockade-breaking ship campaigns through piracy by the occupation navy, and the arrest and abuse of some activists, did not deter other fighters from trying again and again with the aim of breaking the blockade and exposing the occupation's practices to public opinion as hostile to democracy and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and imposing collective punishment on them. The recent Fleet of Steadfastness, which was intercepted by the occupation's naval warships near the Greek coasts, is distinguished by the fact that it came at a time when the media is preoccupied with the American and Israeli war on Iran and the Israeli war on Lebanon, in an attempt to exploit the media preoccupation to complete the liquidation of the Palestinian issue through the continued siege and aggression on Gaza, and the continuation of settlement accompanied by settler attacks in the West Bank. The violent reaction by the occupation's naval warships against the Fleet of Steadfastness by storming the ships, assaulting solidarity activists, arresting some of them, and interrogating them reflects the occupying state's concern about this qualitative and distinguished movement, which included activists, diplomats, journalists, members of parliament, trade unionists, and others. The occupying state has shown not only that it does not care about international law, but also that it does not care about the reactions of the countries from which these activists came, which are influential and weighty countries in international relations, which reflects the extent of the isolation experienced by the occupying state as a rogue state that systematically and organizedly bypasses the human rights system. The occupation's aggression against the Fleet of Steadfastness should push the countries of the world to impose measures of boycott, sanctions, and divestment on the occupying state, which has become a threat to the global human rights and humanitarian system, and not only to the Palestinian people. The hesitation to cancel the European partnership agreement with the occupying state and stop military and trade relations, in addition to the continued unlimited American support, encourage the occupying state to continue committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region. It has become necessary to build on the achievement made by the activists of the Fleet of Steadfastness by continuing to expose the falsity of the Zionist narrative and contributing to its international isolation. The activity of international popular solidarity forces with the cause of our people is a crucial and pivotal factor towards stopping all attempts by the American administration aimed at undermining the role of international justice, by threatening judges and the High Commissioner for Human Rights because of their principled and moral positions condemning the occupation's crimes and championing the rights of our people by ensuring their right to self-determination in accordance with international law. The implementation of accountability mechanisms is one of the important axes in which human rights organizations succeeded in exposing the racism and fascism of the occupation, and in turn strengthened the justice of our people's cause. All greetings to the activists of the Fleet of Steadfastness who set an example in sacrifice and struggle for the values of freedom and dignity expressed by our people through their steadfastness, sacrifices, and continuous struggle.