Gaza blockade: Does it break international law?
Israel’s navy has seized an activist boat attempting to break a blockade of Gaza.
It is almost a year since Israel’s 50-day war on Gaza.
The assault, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, added to the already desperate living conditions for the 1.8 million people living in the Palestinian territory.
A UN report in August concluded that almost everyone in Gaza faced some urgent need for basic protection, healthcare, housing, food and water.
In a largely symbolic gesture, a converted trawler has tried to break an Israeli blockade of the coastal strip to deliver humanitarian aid.
But the Israeli navy boarded the Marianne on Monday; conducting a search and escorting it to its port at Ashdod.
Is Israel justified in maintaining its nine-year blockade of Gaza in the name of security? And are the restrictions against international law?
Presenter: Martine Dennis
Guests:
Rami Abdo, director of the Euro-Mediterranean Observer for Human Rights.
Ben Hartman, National Security Correspondant for the Jerusalem Post.
Diala Chehade, President of the Center for Defending Civil Rights and Liberties and an international criminal law specialist.