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Israel intercepts the Global Resilience Fleet and the world condemns
Many countries today condemned the Israeli Navy's interception of the "Global Resilience Fleet," which includes over 40 unmanned and sailing boats and carries more than 450 humanitarian workers from 44 countries. The fleet aims to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is suffering from war destruction, and serves as a protest against the Israeli military campaign in the besieged area.
In a statement issued by the fleet organizers, they confirmed that occupation forces intercepted 14 boats carrying foreign activists and aid destined for Gaza. However, fleet tracking systems showed that 23 boats continued sailing toward the Palestinian territory. Among the activists stopped was Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who appeared in a video gathering her belongings surrounded by armed men.
Despite the Israeli Navy's interception of several fleet vessels on Wednesday evening, the "Global Resilience Fleet" announced on Thursday morning that it would continue its journey to Palestinian lands. Israel stated that it would deport all activists on the ships to Europe.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry clarified that its forces stopped several ships, while a fleet spokesperson reported that 13 boats were detained, carrying about 200 people.
In international reactions, Malaysia strongly condemned Israel's aggressive actions and called for the immediate release of the crew, including 12 Malaysians, demanding facilitation of aid access to Gaza without obstacles. Pakistan's Prime Minister also strongly denounced the attack, and Colombia decided to expel the Israeli mission in the country.
On the human rights front, UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Palestinian territories, Franchesca Albani, condemned the activists' detention and described Western governments' silence as "shameful and collusive." France called for protecting the participants, while Switzerland emphasized the need for intervention to adhere to the principles of "necessity and proportionality." Turkey also sharply condemned the Israeli attack.
Other countries, including Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and the UK, called for respect for international law and human rights, expressing concern over the situation. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that intercepting the fleet is a criminal act against solidarity and humanitarian efforts to alleviate Gaza's suffering, emphasizing that this interception constitutes a continuous violation of international law.
As a form of protest, Spain summoned the Israeli chargé d'affaires in Madrid, where the Foreign Minister explained that 65 Spaniards were aboard the fleet. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condemned the attack and said he would seek support from Middle Eastern and American leaders, including U.S. Secretary of State, to ensure the release of the Malaysians detained in Israel.
At the end of the statements, international leaders confirmed that this interception reflects ongoing Israeli violations and their lack of respect for international efforts to ease Palestinian suffering.
Source: Sky News
