TEHRAN – A new mural was unveiled at Tehran’s Palestine Square featuring the Global Sumud Flotilla imagery, coinciding with reports of an Israeli assault on aid vessels. The mural bears the phrase: “The sea will never be safe for Pharaoh.”

The unveiling occurred as global attention intensifies on recent confrontations at sea, where Israeli forces intercepted and boarded Gaza-bound aid flotilla ships, ILNA reported.

According to international media, Israeli naval forces intercepted numerous vessels belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla that sought to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.

The interception reportedly involved boarding multiple ships, detaining more than 100 activists, and blocking safe passage.

The Israeli government has defended its actions, citing security concerns over attempts to breach the blockade. Critics, however, have condemned the move as a violation of maritime and humanitarian norms, calling it a “terrorist act” targeting unarmed civilians.

The flotilla included international activists, some of them prominent figures. In statements, organizers insisted they aimed to deliver medical supplies, food, and aid to the besieged population in Gaza, emphasizing the peaceful nature of their mission.

Israel, as the occupying power, has previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported activists on board.

The mural’s phrase, “The sea will never be safe for Pharaoh,” evokes the story of Moses and Pharaoh in Exodus, where Pharaoh pursued Moses and the Israelites across the Red Sea and was drowned when the waters parted. The analogy suggests that tyrannical force (here symbolized by Israel) will ultimately be challenged and undone by those seeking justice.

In political and activist discourse, invoking “Pharaoh” often serves to frame an oppressor as historically destined to fail.

At least 66,225 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, and the number of injuries has reached 169,000 in the Israeli onslaught, the Health Ministry said.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million, for nearly 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

SS/SAB