Ten countries condemn Zionist regime’s attack on Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla
The foreign ministers of ten countries have strongly condemned Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful civilian humanitarian mission attempting to break the Zionist regime’s blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to the Palestinian people.
In a joint statement released on Monday, the ministers of Turkey, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, Colombia, Libya, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Jordan said they viewed with “deep concern” Israel’s repeated interventions against aid missions in international waters.
“These attacks, including assaults on vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists, constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” the statement read.
The ministers called for the immediate release of all detained activists and for full respect for their rights and dignity, urging the global community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to protect civilians and humanitarian missions.
Flotilla intercepted; activists ‘abducted’
Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla on Monday in international waters west of Cyprus, about 70 nautical miles off the island.
Organizers said 10 boats from a 60‑vessel convoy were attacked and boarded, with around 100 activists detained, including 96 Turkish participants and nationals from 39 other countries such as the US, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
“The Israeli occupation has again illegally and violently intercepted our international fleet of humanitarian vessels and abducted our volunteers,” the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on X, demanding the swift release of all detainees and an end to the blockade of Gaza.
The flotilla had set sail from the Turkish Mediterranean district of Marmaris on Thursday, carrying more than 420 participants.
Its mission was to draw international attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and break the Israeli blockade imposed since 2007.
International outcry
Turkish officials slammed the interception as a “new act of piracy.”
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares condemned the action, stating that “no Israeli agent has any jurisdiction in those waters.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the world should not “continue to bow to oppression,” demanding the immediate release of all detained activists, including 16 Malaysians.
“The persecution of Palestinians and humanitarian activists must end immediately,” he said, stressing that Israel “must face justice and accountability.”
Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim denounced the assault as “state terrorism and systematic undermining of the entire international order.”
The interception marks the second such attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla in less than a month.
On April 29, Zionist regime’s forces attacked the aid mission off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, deporting the activists on board.
Zionist regime’s decades-long blockade of Gaza has led to widespread shortages of food, medicine, and essential supplies, with international aid organizations repeatedly warning of a humanitarian catastrophe.