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Israeli forces intercept yet another in international waters Gaza-bound flotilla attempt to deliver assistance in war-torn areas Dozens more people were detained on Wednesday.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international network of pro-Palestinian activist groups that sets sail to break israelmaritime blockade of GazaSaid that all nine of its boats were “unlawfully and illegally attacked by Israeli forces”.
boats stopped The flotilla struck at about 4.24am local time, about 120 nautical miles, or 220 km, from the Gaza Strip, the flotilla said.
“Unarmed crew have been kidnapped overseas, including doctors, journalists and elected officials,” he said, adding that the boats are vital Help Over $110,000 (£82,150) worth of medicines, respiratory equipment and nutritional supplies. “Their whereabouts remain unknown,” it said.
But israelThe Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the flotilla’s ships and passengers were safe, were transferred to an Israeli port, and were expected to be immediately deported. “Another futile attempt to break the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone came to nothing,” the ministry said.
the incident was Second such incident in recent timesAfter being intercepted about Israel 40 ships and more than 450 activists were detainedIncluding climate activist Greta Thunberg in an aid convoy, Global Sumud FlotillaIt was also trying to deliver supplies to Gaza.
The FFC said that Israeli forces “hijacked the humanitarian fleet”, adding that “the ships were illegally intercepted … participants – – Humanitarians, doctors and journalists from around the world – has been taken against his will and is being held in unknown circumstances”.
“The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters,” it said. “Our flotilla does no harm.”
In an earlier post, the flotilla said one of its boats, “The Constituency”, carrying 92 people, mostly journalists and healthcare workers, “was attacked by an Israeli military helicopter”.
Turkish, Irish, French, Bangladeshi and Danish activists were on the ship who were detained by Israeli forces. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim strongly condemned the Israeli military action, calling it a violation of international law.
“The act of detaining a humanitarian ship carrying aid for the people of Gaza is inhumane and abuses the fundamental principles of human rights and universal human dignity,” Mr Ibrahim said in a post on Twitter.
“I demand that all Malaysian activists and volunteers be immediately released, given appropriate protection, and not treated ill-treated during their period of detention,” he said.
Turkey confirmed that its citizens and parliamentarians boarded the flotilla and slammed the intervention by Israeli forces as an act of piracy and a violation of international law.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the intervention showed that the Israeli government targeted peaceful measures, harming peacekeeping efforts and increasing tensions in the region. It said in its statement that all initiatives were being taken for Turkish citizens held by Israel to be returned to Turkey, and that it was also coordinating with other countries regarding their citizens.
Earlier, the interception of the global Sumud flotilla drew widespread condemnation and led to large protests in several major cities and a one-day strike in Italy. Some of the detained activists claimed that they were Abused and humiliated by Israeli forces,
Italian journalist Saverio Tomasi said that Israeli soldiers withheld medicines and treated prisoners “like monkeys”. “It’s called torture. It’s called torture, a denial of human rights, even the most basic,” he said upon his return to Rome’s Fiumcino airport late Saturday.
Israel, which rejects allegations it is carrying out genocide in Gaza and says reports of hunger are exaggerated, has dismissed the flotilla as a publicity stunt that benefits Hamas. It had earlier detained Ms Thunberg at sea in June in a similar attempt to break the blockade.
“Let me be very clear. There is a genocide going on,” Ms Thunberg told the crowd upon her arrival At Athens airport. “Our international systems are failing the Palestinians. They are not even able to prevent the worst war crimes from happening,” she said.
Israel and Hamas are currently in the third day of indirect talks in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with high-level leaders from international delegations including the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
Israel’s two-year-long offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 67,000 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run strip. Last month a UN body met Israel was committing genocide in Gaza,
Israel launched the offensive after Hamas-led Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage in Gaza.