The UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Thursday described Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla as “Apartheid without borders”.
“ALARM! How on earth is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe? Besides what you can think of Apartheid Israel and its genocidal leaders, this should send shock waves across Europe,” said Francesca Albanese on the US social media platform X.
The Israeli navy intercepted vessels from the flotilla late Wednesday as they headed toward Gaza to break a longstanding blockade on the enclave.
The group said Israeli forces surrounded the convoy in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, jammed communications, and seized 21 vessels, adding that 17 vessels managed to escape and enter Greek waters following the incident.
Israeli forces detained 18 Turkish nationals after intercepting the fleet in international waters more than 600 nautical miles from Gaza, a few miles off Greek territorial waters.
Israeli forces surrounded the boats off the coast of the Greek island of Crete late Wednesday and carried out a raid, detaining more than 170 activists on board, the Turkish delegation told Anadolu.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, aims to break Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor by sea.
The move came hours after Hebrew media reported that Israel was preparing to intercept the flotilla, which includes around 100 boats in total carrying nearly 1 000 activists from several countries.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving about 1,5 million Palestinians out of roughly 2,4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war.
Earlier, the Gaza-bound fleet said that Israeli naval forces intercepted and disabled several of its vessels in international waters, leaving hundreds of civilians stranded at sea as a storm approached.
Late Wednesday, the Israeli Army Radio said naval forces had started taking control of flotilla vessels bound for Gaza far from Israel’s coast.
It added that Israeli forces had so far seized seven of the flotilla vessels near the Greek island of Crete.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, aims to break Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor by sea.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving about 1,5 million Palestinians out of roughly 2,4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war.
Meanwhile, criticism from across Europe has mounted after Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Greece, prompting accusations of violations of international law.
Greece’s former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis sharply criticised the Greek government, pointing to unfolding events off the coast of Greece’s island of Crete.
“Just spoke to friends on the Global Sumud Flotilla. Israeli vessels & drones are harassing them off the coast of Crete,” he said through the US social media platform X.
“The Greek government is either complicit or incapable of defending our seas from Israel,” he added, while the Greek government and Israeli officials did not immediately respond to Varoufakis’s comments.
Adding to the backlash, Italian lawmaker Arturo Scotto said the flotilla was intercepted about 500kms from Gaza in international waters near Greece.
“History repeats itself. This time, very practically in Europe,” Scotto wrote on X, questioning whether such “violence and disregard for international law” could be tolerated.
In Spain, Ione Belarra, leader of the Podemos party, said the flotilla appeared to be “seized in international waters” by Israeli forces.
“This is another war crime for which they will one day have to pay,” she wrote on X, calling on the Spanish government and the European Commission to provide immediate protection.
Meanwhile, a Spanish activist aboard the flotilla, Pablo Quesada Martin, said that stopping a ship in international waters is a violation of international law, adding that those on board were seeking support from Greek authorities.
“Israel is committing genocide in Palestine, carrying out ethnic cleansing, and no one is doing anything about it. Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people,” Martin said. – AA