Israel attacks Global Sumud Flotilla yet again

For the second time since the Global Sumud Flotilla launched last month, it has been illegally intercepted and boarded in international waters by Israeli forces. Of the 14 UK delegates, eight, at the time of publication, are confirmed as having been abducted. Their whereabouts and wellbeing are currently unknown.

At 8am BST on Monday 18 May, the Flotilla was 250 nautical miles from Gaza and roughly 75 nautical miles southwest of Cyprus when reports of interception began to come in.

Interceptions began with ribs (small military speedboats) approaching Flotilla vessels, followed by heavily armed Israeli soldiers forcing their way aboard. Communications were then invariably lost as Israeli soldiers smashed cameras and participants tossed their phones into the water.

This comes after a similar attack on Wednesday 29 April, less than three weeks ago, where 180 peaceful delegates were abducted and tortured. Two, Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avila, were taken to Israel and subjected to brutal and inhumane treatment.

After the extreme brutality of the previous attack we are deeply concerned for all Flotilla participants and demand the UK government and governments worldwide defend their citizens and condemn the Israeli regime’s illegal and shameful actions.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful, non-violent response to the illegal Israeli siege on Gaza. The boats are carrying life-saving aid, including food, medicine, and children’s toys. The UK government must demand the release of abducted participants and facilitate the safe arrival of the Flotilla in Gaza.

A Flotilla spokesperson said:

The Israeli regime thinks it can intimidate us into giving up on our Palestinian cousins. But the resilience of the Palestinian people will never be broken, therefore our determination to reach them will never be broken.

We will break the siege, we will end the genocide, we will free Palestine.

ICJP speaks out for Global Sumud Flotilla

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) also condemned the interception. It called the action:

Yet another egregious violation of international law and a total disregard for the law of the sea.

The interception and unlawful detention of non-violent humanitarian activists, which included armed Israeli commandos climbing on to several boats, is an act of illegal piracy intended to maintain Israel’s genocidal and unlawful siege on Gaza.

The normalisation of the occupation and Israel’s total disregard for international law is a threat to everyone. At least eight UK citizens have reportedly been intercepted, including:

• Esme Nickerson.
• Hasnain Jafer.
• Peter William Henderson.
• Richard Johan Anderson.
• Hugh Stuart Stirling.
• Cerie Bullivant.
• Dáša Raimanová.
• Veronica Otero Guillen.

Israel’s recent detention of the flotilla’s leaders, Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian national Thiago Ávila, who were allegedly tortured and abused in Israeli detention, was yet another example in the long list of Israel’s acts of impunity that deliberately maintain its genocide in Gaza and brutal apartheid across occupied Palestine.

The Global Sumud Flotilla’s humanitarian missions have become a necessary act in the face of deliberate Israeli restrictions on the import of aid, critical spare parts, back-up generators and other equipment to Gaza. The UN says such missions are being continually undermined by Israel’s policies.

Whilst Israel has intercepted the flotilla multiple times, some of the ships remain on their mission to deliver aid.

Órlaith Roe, ICJP’s public affairs and communications officer, said:

How many times must we say it – Israel’s interception and detention of humanitarian aid flotillas and their activists headed to Gaza is a total unlawful, illegal, and egregious violation of international laws.

The lack of any kind of meaningful response from international governments, whose citizens are continually detained and abused by Israeli forces who illegally board the boats in international waters, is astounding.

It is hard not to ignore the blatantly obvious double standards when it comes to humanitarian missions intended for Palestinians suffering under Israeli occupation, and those of other conflicts.

Featured image via the Global Sumud Flotilla