By Verónica O’Kelly
Automatic translation made by AI.
The events of the last few days reveal a new escalation in the colonial and genocidal project of the State of Israel. In less than 24 hours, two attacks in different countries – one against a Global Sumud Flotilla boat in Tunisia and the other against a building in Doha, Qatar – demonstrate that the Zionist regime is not only continuing to deepen the ongoing holocaust against the Palestinian people in Gaza, but is also extending its aggression beyond the Palestinian borders, threatening the sovereignty of the entire region.
The attack on the Flotilla: an attempt at international intimidation
On the night of September 8-9, in the port of Sidi Bou Said, one of the flagship boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla – an international initiative that challenges the Israeli blockade of Gaza and transports humanitarian aid – was hit by a Zionist drone. The attack caused a fire on the Family Boat, although it left no casualties. Activists from Portugal and other countries reported that the bomb fell directly onto the deck.
The Tunisian authorities have tried to downplay what happened, attributing the fire to accidental causes, but the images from the security cameras and the activists’ own accounts point to a deliberate action. The UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, warned that, if confirmed, the attack would be a flagrant violation of Tunisian sovereignty.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest civilian effort of international solidarity with Palestine in recent decades. Its aim is to break the illegal blockade that Israel has maintained on Gaza since 2007, which is why it has become a target for Zionism’s genocidal military apparatus. The attempted sabotage on Tunisian territory is a clear message: Israel seeks to criminalize and discourage any form of internationalist solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Doha bombing: a dangerous escalation
Today, September 9, a few hours after the attack on the Flotilla, Israel bombed a building in Doha, the Qatari capital, allegedly used by Hamas political leaders. This is the first time that Israel has carried out a direct military operation on Qatari territory, a country that has played a central role as a mediator in the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.
The Qatari government condemned the bombing as a “criminal attack” and an “unprecedented violation of its sovereignty”. Local reports and international media outlets reported explosions in the Katara region, highlighting a new phase of the Israeli offensive: not only to exterminate and displace the Palestinian population of Gaza, but also to attack states that maintain diplomatic relations with Palestine.
This attack has profound implications. On the one hand, it weakens mediation efforts and shows that Zionism is not seeking real negotiations, but rather to consolidate its territorial control. On the other, it represents a warning to all Arab countries and organizations that offer political, humanitarian or military support to Palestine.
A 70-year-old colonial project aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people
These events are not isolated incidents. They are part of a historical strategy of the State of Israel, a colonial entity artificially implanted in 1948, supported by the imperialist powers. Since then, Israel has pursued a systematic policy of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and territorial appropriation, which today reaches genocidal levels in Gaza.
The forced displacement of millions of Palestinians to the south of the Strip, the total blockade of food, medicine and water, and the daily bombings of civilian areas constitute war crimes and serious human rights violations. The assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla and the attack in Doha are part of this same expansionist logic: Israel tolerates neither international solidarity nor political resistance, and arrogates to itself the right to act militarily wherever it wants. This impunity is the result of the complicity of most of the world’s governments with Zionism, either through silence or direct support for this televised genocide. All of them maintain diplomatic and commercial relations, strengthening the power of Zionism and abandoning the Palestinian people.
International solidarity and revolutionary perspective
The experience of the Global Sumud Flotilla demonstrates that there is an international movement willing to challenge Israeli military power and denounce the genocidal blockade. Every boat that sets sail for Gaza, every caravan that breaks through the media siege, is a spark of hope for a people facing one of the most brutal offensives in recent history.
In the face of this, abstract calls for peace or a “two-state solution”, which would only serve to legitimize apartheid, are not enough. The only just and lasting solution is to fight for a single, free, secular, democratic, anti-racist and socialist Palestine, as part of a Federation of Socialist States in the Middle East that puts an end to colonialism, imperialism and the dictatorships that sustain this oppressive system.
It is urgent to strengthen the global mobilization in defense of Palestine, denounce the complicity of imperialist governments and build an internationalist and revolutionary alternative. Only in this way will it be possible to defeat the Zionist project and guarantee historical justice for the Palestinian people.
