Dodo ry expresses its support for the international civilian aid mission Global Sumud Flotilla and stands against Israel’s genocide and environmental destruction in Palestine.
The blockade of Gaza, which has intensified since October 2023, has deliberately starved more than half a million people, and Israel’s military operations have killed tens of thousands. Human rights organizations have condemned the siege as illegal, but the situation continues to worsen.
At the same time as the Palestinian environment has been almost completely destroyed and the genocide continues, the Finnish government is unable to recognize the state of Palestine and has reportedly done nothing to protect the lives of the Finnish participants in the Flotilla aid or to secure its safe arrival.
International law is clear: civilians, including those participating in humanitarian missions, are protected by the Geneva Conventions. The attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla is a war
crime and a crime against humanity. However, Israel’s actions have also intensified in relation to the Flotilla. On the night of September 23, 2025, it launched an aggressive attack on the Flotilla, putting also the lives of the Finnish participants in danger.
The environmental destruction is extensive, alongside the genocide taking place in Palestine. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), heavy bombing in populated areas can cause long-term contamination of soil and groundwater from both the munitions themselves and collapsed buildings, which release hazardous substances such as asbestos, industrial chemicals, and fuel into the surrounding air, soil, and groundwater. The traditional livelihoods of Palestinians and their connection to their own living environment are being systematically destroyed. Israel’s actions can also be seen at this time as a frightening example of how authoritarian regimes create new global threats to the future of humanity by dismantling the rules-based system instead of promoting sustainable development.
We, the people of Dodo, advocate for citizens’ agency and the right to maintain the sustainability of their living environments. We encourage other Finnish agencies and organizations to protect livable environments and the human rights that are inseparable from them, and to urgently contact the Finnish government in support of the Flotilla campaign as the convoys approach Gaza in the upcoming days.