The Israeli navy has intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and taken them to an Israeli port, citing security concerns, the BBC reports.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said several ships in the GSF had been safely stopped and the people on board had been taken to an Israeli port. The ministry explained that before the interception, the Israeli navy had repeatedly asked the ships to change course because they were approaching a war zone.
In the early morning of the 2nd of October, the GSF reported that 30 ships were still on their way to Gaza and were about 46 nautical miles from their intended destination. The GSF described the interception of the ships as illegal. One of the ships was reportedly rammed, while others were fired upon with water cannons. The GSF wrote on social media that this clearly shows how far “the occupier will go to ensure Gaza remains starved and isolated. They will attack a peaceful civilian mission because the success of humanitarian aid means the failure of their siege.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the flotilla had been informed that this was a violation of the legal naval blockade. However, it is not known whether the ships actually entered the blockade zone. The Israeli government, which considers the GSF’s actions a provocation, has stated that the activists are safe and in good health.
Protests are taking place in Greece, Italy, Germany, Tunisia and Turkey against Israel’s interception of the GSF ships.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on Israel to urgently end the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by all possible means. Italian unions have called for a general strike on the 3rd of October to defend the flotilla, constitutional values and Gaza.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned the seizure of the GSF ships as an act of terrorism and called for those responsible to be held accountable. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has expelled all Israeli diplomats working there and said the seizure was an international crime committed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris has called the reports of the incident worrying and said he expects Israel to comply with international law.
International aid agencies are also trying to deliver food and medical supplies to the Palestinian territories, but have said Israel is restricting deliveries. Israel has responded by saying it is trying to prevent aid shipments from falling into the hands of Hamas. It has set up its own food supply system, the GHF, with the US, but the UN refuses to cooperate with it, citing the GHF’s unethical actions and crimes committed, including the alleged murder of civilians.
A UN Commission of Inquiry announced in September that the famine in Gaza was directly caused by Israeli actions, including preventing aid shipments. Netanyahu has said that this is a lie.
Read also: Italian Prime Minister calls on Gaza aid flotilla to stop and not threaten peace
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