French parliamentarian Marie Mesmeur, participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla headed to Gaza to break the Israeli blockade, has said she and other participants are undeterred by Israeli threats, stressing that their mission is to defend the right to life for all people, Al Jazeera reports.

In an interview in the Tunisian capital with the Anadolu news agency, Mesmeur, a member of the La France Insoumise party, described the flotilla as “the largest peaceful popular initiative to support Palestinians in Gaza”.

She urged French President Emmanuel Macron to formally recognise Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from crossing French airspace, citing an ICC arrest warrant issued against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

“Over 40 ships, manned by participants, are appealing to their governments, which have taken negative stances on Gaza, to help the Palestinian people,” she said.

“Since governments have failed to act, activists are self-organising peaceful flotillas in dozens of boats, motivated by deep belief in aiding the Palestinian people.”