LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has a “legal duty to act to prevent a genocide” in Gaza, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg told The Guardian.
Thunberg, who is traveling to the Palestinian enclave as part of an international flotilla, was speaking ahead of a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to London on Wednesday.
She said the world is “waking up” to the “livestream genocide” in Gaza, adding: “The words we will use to describe people who are standing on the wrong side of history, supporting or committing war crimes, those words do not exist yet, those slurs do not exist yet, but we will be using them towards people like (Starmer).”
She continued: “We have seen civilians all over the world stepping up but there is a huge absence of those whose legal responsibility it is to step up.
“These governments, these people in power, have a legal duty to act to prevent a genocide and to not support an apartheid regime.”
The UK government has not confirmed whether Starmer will meet Herzog. A spokesperson said: “Since day one, this government has been clear that we need to see an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages cruelly detained by Hamas, better protection of civilians, significantly more aid consistently entering Gaza, and a path to long-term peace and stability.
“The only way to achieve lasting peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike is through a political solution, and that’s why we are working with partners to develop a framework for peace that addresses governance, security, humanitarian access, and political reform.
“We have condemned the actions of the (Israeli) government, including its expansion of military action in Gaza and the woefully inadequate provision of aid, and will continue to urge them to change course, commit to a ceasefire, lift restrictions on aid and work towards a two-state solution.”
Thunberg is crossing the Mediterranean alongside hundreds of other activists aboard vessels comprising the Global Sumud Flotilla.
It is carrying aid — including food, medical supplies and baby formula — and plans to try to breach Israel’s siege of Gaza.
A previous flotilla of which Thunberg was a member was intercepted by Israel in international waters in June.
The five-time Nobel Peace prize nominee said: “If we would base our logic on international law and common sense, and even the most basic humanitarian values, then there is absolutely no reason for Israel to attack us.
“But again, we have seen that Israel sees themselves as an exemption from international law, and the world to a large extent allows them to act however they want without any major consequences.”
Yasemin Acar, an activist traveling with Thunberg, said: “Many people around the world may say that this is a suicide mission and we are going to the belly of the beast, which is true. We are seeing what they’re doing to Palestinians.
“But the question should be, why should we fear for our life while we are carrying nothing but humanitarian aid to a population that is being starved, a manmade starvation supported by so many governments and states around the world?”
Fellow activist Thiago Avila said it is crucial that the flotilla continues to draw international attention to the suffering of the people of Gaza, more than 60,000 of whom have been killed and many more injured and displaced.
“The reason why we ask people to share the mission (on social media), it’s because this brings us visibility, not because Israel does not want to kill us — because they want to do with us the same thing that they do to Palestinians — but because they cannot afford to pay the political cost of that,” Avila said.
“We right now see that the world is paying attention to this mission because we know the sense of urgency that they are facing in Gaza, but also the world is sick of seeing children being starved to death, sick of seeing hospitals being bombed, shelters being bombed, schools being bombed, homes being bombed.”
Thunberg said: “We know that the world does not stand with war criminals. And we know that every day when we see more footage coming out of Gaza, we see the incredibly brave journalists who are risking their lives to report the atrocities happening. People are waking up.”
She added: “Anyone who has any sense of humanity and common sense can see that there is absolutely, absolutely no justification for any of this, no matter what absurdly fabricated arguments Israel is using.
“But as they are escalating the genocide, we are also escalating the resistance. We are not able to just sit and watch a livestream genocide take place.”
