Gaza (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, sailing with a Gaza aid flotilla, warned UK PM Keir Starmer of his legal duty to prevent genocide under international law.
As reported by The Guardian, speaking from a flotilla heading to Gaza, Greta Thunberg said, Keir Starmer has a “legal duty to act to prevent genocide.”
What did Greta Thunberg say about Keir Starmer’s ‘duty’ on Gaza?
The Swedish climate activist accused world leaders of neglecting their legal responsibilities under international law. She called out Sir Keir Starmer before his expected meeting this week with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
In a message to Keir Starmer, who has faced pressure from his MPs not to meet the Israeli president, Greta Thunberg stated,
“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 warned that citizens across the world are “waking up” to events in Gaza, refusing to “watch a livestream genocide” in silence.
Ms Thunberg said,
“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.”
She has joined hundreds of activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla on a legal aid mission to Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of “starvation, pure and simple.”
This marks Ms Thunberg’s second aid mission, after Israeli authorities seized her and the 12-member crew of the Madleen in international waters in June, a day before reaching Gaza.
She warned that activists’ lives were at risk, blaming Israel’s unchecked actions on the absence of meaningful accountability from the international community.
Ms Thunberg stated,
“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.”
In 2019, she became the youngest Time Person of the Year and has since received five Nobel Peace Prize nominations for her climate activism.
She stated,
“I think it’s been very clear in the words and actions of people all over the world that there is worldwide support for this [movement].”
Ms Thunberg said,
“We know that the world does not stand with war criminals. And we know that by 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.”
According to her, many had once been unaware of events in Gaza but stressed,
“we no longer have the privilege to say that we weren’t aware because we are seeing this coming out of Gaza every single day of children being starved, parents looking for missed body parts of their children under the rubble.”
Ms Thunberg 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.”
What did Yasemin Acar say about risking lives for aid?
German activist Yasemin Acar, who travelled on the Madleen with Thunberg and has joined the latest flotilla, 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.”
She added,
“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?”
What did Thiago Ávila say about the risks facing Gaza Flotilla activists?
Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist aboard the current flotilla and previously on the Madleen, warned the missions were growing more dangerous, with global attention the only safeguard against further killings.
He stated,
“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.”
Mr Avila added,
“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.”
What did the Gaza Freedom Flotilla aim to deliver amid deadly risks?
The flotilla, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that has run aid missions since 2008, is delivering food, medicine and baby formula to Gaza.
It also seeks to raise global awareness of the enclave, where more than 63,600 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.
The mission remains dangerous, with at least 10 activists killed and many more injured on earlier attempts to reach Gaza.
Number 10’s views on Keir Starmer’s possible meeting with Herzog
Number 10 has refused to confirm whether the prime minister will meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog.
Mr Herzog was cited in an ICJ case after blaming all Palestinians for the 7 October Hamas assault, which killed about 1,200 people and left 251 taken hostage.
What did David Lammy say about Israel’s role in Gaza aid?
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, the former foreign secretary, said last week,
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic, with famine in Gaza City and women and girls bearing the brunt of the suffering. The UK is doing all we can to improve the situation but we remain crystal clear: for aid to have impact, Israel must ensure it is allowed in and delivered safely and securely to civilians in desperate need.”
He added,
“This extra £3m funding can only have maximum impact if the government of Israel allows it. Israel must ensure protection of civilians including healthcare staff and health infrastructure, and enable the delivery of life-saving medicines, medical equipment and healthcare supplies into Gaza.”
Key facts about the Gaza-Israel war
The war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas and other Palestinian groups launched attacks on Israel. Around 1,195 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the initial assault.
More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by mid-2025, many of them women and children. Indirect deaths continue to rise due to famine and medical collapse.