Tel Aviv, Israel (August 2018) – Israeli forces intercept nine fleets It is trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza The fleet organizers and the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced they had been hiding in the Mediterranean early Wednesday morning and detained dozens of activists on board.
The ministry said 145 activists participating in the Free Platoon Union and the thousands of Madrien to Gaza are in good health and have been transported to Israel’s shores for disposal. They are expected to be deported afterwards.
The interception came after about 450 activists from previous units, including European lawmakers and climate activist Greta Thunberg. More than 40 boats captured Last week they attempted to reach Gaza with an iconic amount of humanitarian assistance.
While most “Global Smud Flottra” activists have been deported, six of the activists, from Norway, Morocco and Spain, are still being held in Israel, their representative lawyers announced late Tuesday.
Organizers of the latest platoon slammed the new detention Wednesday as “arbitrary and illegal.”
Activists aboard the nine-ship group included Turkish and Danish doctors, politicians and lawmakers. A passenger list posted on the fleet’s website also shows two Israelis on the largest ship, Concience.
The fleet was loaded with food and medical aid supplies for a Gaza hospital. Melissa Kamala, French lawmaker from the European Parliament, also participated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote of X: “One more useless attempt to break through legal maritime blockades and enter the combat zone has ended without incident.”
Organizers announced that the fleet had been intercepted about 120 nautical miles off Gaza. Cameras mounted on one large passenger ship and eight small sailing ships broadcast live the intercept. A fast moving ship approached the boat, before Israeli forces boarded and blocked the broadcast. Activists also said Israeli helicopters had passed over them. No injuries have been reported.
Turkey has vehemently condemned Israel’s recent interception on the high seas as “pirate.” The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said it was a serious violation of international law, accusing Israel of raising tensions and undermining peace efforts.
Turkey has launched diplomatic efforts to ensure the immediate liberation and safe return of its people, and is coordinating with other countries for the status of other activists, the statement said in a statement.
Last week’s Global Sumud Flottra interception attracted widespread criticism and sparked massive protests. In some major cities and A day strike across Italy.
Some deported activists said: Abuse by Israeli security guardsclaims that Israel is denial.
The platoon to Gaza arrived in the middle of it. Rising criticism of Israel’s actions in GazaThere, the attacks in the war with Hamas devastated a wide range of territory and killed tens of thousands.
Israel and Hamas are now Indirect negotiations 3rd day He participated in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm Al Sheikh with senior officials from international delegations, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye.
The war was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The militants killed about 1,200 people that day, and 251 others were abducted. There are still 48 hostages detained in Gaza, with about 20 people still being survived.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel’s subsequent operations killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, but there is no distinction between civilians and militants among the victims. The ministry, part of Hamas-run government and whose numbers are considered the most reliable estimates by experts, said that women and children make up about half of the deaths.
Since Hamas seized power in the coastal region in 2007, Israel has maintained various degrees of lockdown in the Gaza Strip, claiming that it would need to contain extremist groups. Critics have mocked the policy as a collective punishment.
After the war began, Israel tightened its lockdown, but later eased it under US pressure. In March, the Gaza Strip was blocked from food, medicines and other goods for two and a half months, which contributed to the intensifying hunger in the Gaza Strip.
Fleet activists have argued that they want to break Israeli blockade and establish humanitarian corridors by sea, considering the low aid reaching Gaza overland. They vowed to try again.
___
Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press reporter Susan Fraser, who lives in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to the report.
