British journalist, author, and activist Yvonne Ridley is currently in South Africa for a speaking tour, reflecting on her recent experience aboard the Gaza aid flotilla. Ridley, who was detained by the Taliban early in her career, has reported extensively from conflict zones including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chechnya.
Speaking to VOC News, Ridley recounted the harrowing events when the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces.
“One of the aims of the flotilla was to expose the brutality of the occupation, and I have to say the Israelis did it very well,” she said. “They boarded our ship and kidnapped us in international waters. We should have been safe. What they did was a war crime.”
Ridley explained that despite the flotilla’s humanitarian mission, the crew was forcibly detained and denied their rights.
“I told one of them, ‘this is a war crime, we simply want to deliver humanitarian aid, and you’re taking us hostage,’” she recalled. “International law and human decency are clearly not in the vocabulary of the occupation.”
She further criticised Israel’s long history of disregarding United Nations resolutions.
“No other country in the world has violated as many UN rules as Israel. The Iraq war started after twelve violations, but Israel has ignored hundreds. It’s a rogue state, and after the genocide in Gaza, it risks becoming completely isolated from the world.”
Ridley’s South African tour aims to highlight ongoing humanitarian struggles in Gaza and the broader implications of global inaction.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: GSF/ Instagram
