Dr. Wijdan Aloqab, a member of the Regional Advisory Group, a member of the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, commented on the tense events in the Mediterranean Sea, which have been broadcast to every follower of smartphone screens and news screens, hoping for the success of international peaceful efforts to try to break the abhorrent siege on Gaza by land and sea, by saying that the ships of the “Steadfastness Flotilla” carried messages of freedom and justice, in a humanitarian scene par excellence, and sailed towards Gaza to break the restrictions of the siege imposed on people and the sea together.
While the Israeli occupation forces were preoccupied with pursuing the approaching vessels, Gazan fishermen found a rare respite, venturing further into their territorial waters and catching quantities of fish they had long been deprived of. Dr. Aloqab stated that this seemingly simple event, yet profoundly significant, was not merely a small victory for the fishermen, but rather a manifestation of human resilience with environmental dimensions.
The environment in Gaza, like its people, has been under siege for many years. The sea, which constitutes a lifeline for the residents of the Strip, has been restricted to narrow areas that are not sufficient for their needs, do not satisfy their hunger, and do not allow them to benefit from marine resources. At a moment when the Zionists were preoccupied with the boats and ships of the Freedom Flotilla, the sea seemed to be regaining some of its freedom, to return to its people what its waters had provided in terms of sustenance and food.
She emphasized that “the environmental tragedy in Gaza does not stop at the sea. The land is also scarred by repeated aggression. The continuous bombing has not only destroyed buildings, but has also devoured vast areas of agricultural land, turning fields of crop production, citrus, and olives into scorched earth. Thousands of fruit trees have been uprooted or burned, and groundwater sources have been polluted or dried up due to the siege and the prevention of infrastructure development.”.
Even the soil that once nurtured life has been corrupted by the remnants of shells and toxic materials resulting from the war, making its restoration a long-term challenge.” She called for “the need to pay attention to the fact that this environmental catastrophe deepens the humanitarian crisis, as the loss of land and water turns into a loss of food security, and the siege on fishermen and farmers turns into a siege on the population’s right to clean food and healthy natural resources.”.
It is a clear picture of how aggression intersects with the environment, and how the destruction of nature becomes an additional tool to stifle life.” She emphasized the Kuwait Environment Protection Society’s solidarity with the sacrifices of the Steadfastness Flotilla, which aligns with the State of Kuwait’s policies, and expressed great pride in the participation of the flotilla’s heroes from Kuwait and other nations around the world in this flotilla, which united free people under one humanitarian banner.
This participation demonstrated that Kuwait, with its long history of humanitarian and environmental work, stands with the right to freedom and justice, and that the Palestinian cause is ever-present in its conscience. The solidarity shown by people from different continents also affirmed that justice knows no borders, and that the environment and the people of Gaza have a global voice rejecting the siege of life. We pray that they all return safely after the barbarity of the Zionist entity was exposed, an entity that disregarded international law by denying the flotilla its right to be in Gaza's territorial waters and poisoning the well-being of its people through corrupt media outlets worldwide.
Dr. Aloqab concluded: “Here the responsibility of the international community is clearly evident. Protecting the environment in conflict zones is not only a moral choice, but a legal obligation emphasized by international conventions, most notably the United Nations resolutions concerning the non-use of the environment as a weapon of war, which is manifested in November 6, known as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflicts; a day that the State of Kuwait called for and which was approved by the United Nations in 2001 for the same reasons.”.
The systematic destruction of land, sea, and water in Gaza constitutes a flagrant violation of these conventions and places an urgent obligation on the international community to intervene to protect natural resources and guarantee the right of peoples to a healthy environment, even in the most difficult circumstances. She added, ”Freeing the sea from restrictions, protecting the land from destruction, and preserving natural resources are all inherent rights of peoples that cannot be taken away or besieged. Liberating both people and the environment is what gives the sea its true meaning: a bridge to life, a space for freedom, and a symbol of resilience.“.
