Published on Cuba Si (http://cubasi.cu)
Israeli naval forces intercepted on Wednesday vessels from a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, including the ship on which Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was traveling, after Israel had ordered the group to change course.
The Global Sumud flotilla—*“sumud” means “resilience” in Arabic—*describes itself as a “peaceful and non-violent mission.” It departed Barcelona in early September and is composed of about 45 boats with hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists from more than 40 countries.
On Wednesday, the flotilla was sailing in the Mediterranean off the coast of Egypt, approaching the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been carrying out an offensive in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israeli territory.
Israel detained “several boats” from the flotilla without incident, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported Wednesday night.
“Several vessels from the flotilla (...) were stopped safely, and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port,” the ministry said on X.
“Greta and her friends are safe and sound,” it added, alongside a short video showing Thunberg collecting her belongings while surrounded by armed men.
The flotilla’s organizers, however, denounced that “in addition to the boats whose interception has been confirmed, live broadcasts and communications were lost with other vessels.”
Global Sumud said it was working “tirelessly to locate all participants and crew members.”
This was “an illegal attack against unarmed humanitarian workers,” the organization declared, urging “governments, world leaders, and international institutions to demand the safety and release of all those on board.”
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called the Israeli intervention a “crime of piracy and terrorism” carried out “in international waters, with the arrest of activists and journalists.”
Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro expelled Israel’s diplomatic delegation from Bogotá.
Petro, one of the fiercest critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, described the interception as a “war crime.” He also denounced that two Colombian citizens had been “detained” and demanded their “immediate release.”
“Hundreds of civilians, humanitarian workers, and peaceful activists (...) were illegally arrested and arbitrarily detained by Israel,” wrote Franco-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan on X, confirming her participation in the mission.
Turkey’s foreign ministry accused Israel of committing an “act of terrorism,” while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called on Israel to ensure “the safety of the participants.”
Participants in the operation, including Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, had earlier stated on social media that they were “surrounded by Israeli warships.” They reported that the interception took place just 81 nautical miles from reaching Gaza.
Among those joining the mission is former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, who described the action as an effort to “break the blockade of Gaza” and deliver “humanitarian aid to a besieged population facing famine and genocide.”
The organizers had insisted they would continue toward Gaza, having accused Israel of employing “intimidation tactics.”
Italy and Spain had both deployed naval vessels to escort the flotilla after “drone attacks” in the early hours of September 24, which were condemned by the United Nations and the European Union.
The flotilla reported being targeted by drones on two previous occasions, including during a stopover in Tunisia on September 9.
However, on Wednesday, the Spanish government urged Global Sumud not to enter waters designated by Israel as an exclusion zone, and clarified that the ship it had dispatched for support would not cross into that area.
On Tuesday, the Italian frigate also halted at the “critical” zone, 150 nautical miles from Gaza, and broadcast a radio message urging flotilla activists to abandon their mission.