Israel intercepted a help ship to Gaza, preventing 12 activists on board, including Swedish activist from the Greta Thunberg climate, to reach the blocked Palestinian territory.
The Israeli army “intercepted by force” the Madleen ship in international waters for a night at around 100 nabin miles (185 km) from Gaza, Freedom Flotilla NGO said in a statement on Monday. Tel Aviv Tribune lost contact with the ship at 07:00 GMT.
In addition to Thunberg, those who are placed in police custody by Israel are a French Palestinian member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan; Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi and Reva Viard de France; Thiago Avila from Brazil; Suayb Ordu by Turkiye; Sergio Toribio of Spain; Marco Van Rennes of the Netherlands; Yasemin ACAR from Germany; And Omar Faiad, journalist for Tel Aviv Tribune Mubasher, also from France.
Israel has held the crew for “interrogation”.
Here’s how the world reacted:
Palestine
The interception of Madleen is a “blatant violation of international law,” said Hamas in a statement, asking that activists on board be released and saying that he is holding Israel “fully responsible for their security”.
“Israel does not have the legal power to restrict access to Palestine, because this is part of the exclusive right of the Palestinian people,” said the organization of the Al-Haq rights, which is based in Ramallah in occupied West Bank.
Iran
“The assault against this flotilla, because it occurred in international waters, is considered a form of hacking under international law,” said Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Turkiye
The interception by Israel of Madleen is a “clear violation of international law” which “demonstrates once again that Israel acts as a terrorist state,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye said in a statement.
France
President Emmanuel Macron “asked that our six French nationals be authorized to return to France as soon as possible,” said the Palais d’Elysee in a press release. “We asked to be able to exercise our consular protection on them” and to “visit”, added the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot.
United Kingdom
Downing Street urged Israel to resolve the interception of the Madleen aid ship “safely and with restraint”, stressing the need to join international humanitarian law.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer told journalists on Monday that the United Kingdom was deeply concerned about the crisis in Gaza. “The PM called it appalling and intolerable,” they said.
“We have clearly indicated that we have to get more aid to Gaza,” added the spokesperson, highlighting the urgent need of an “entry of assistance without a large scale to meet the huge needs”.
The Republic of Ireland
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris described Madleen as a “powerful symbol” of humanitarian solidarity, condemning the actions of Israel.
“Madleen has been an effort to bring food and medicine to hungry people from Gaza; an unarmed civil effort in full devastation and catastrophic humanitarian conditions,” said Harris.
He added that the interception of the ship stressed both the desperate state of Gaza and the failure of the international community to act, reiterating Ireland’s opposition to the Israeli blockade.
Spain
Spain summoned Dan Poraz, a manager at the Israeli embassy in Madrid, reported the Spanish newspaper El Pais and Tel Aviv Tribune Arabic, citing a source at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Australia
The Jewish Council of Australia expressed “serious concerns for activists aboard the Flatilla de Gaza Freedom” and called on the Australian government to intervene urgently to guarantee the immediate release of the ship and the safety of the crew “.
UNITED STATES
“We strongly condemn the cowardly and illegal Israeli attack against Madleen as Gaza approaches with desperately necessary humanitarian supplies,” said the American-Islamic Relations Council. “We applaud Greta Thunberg and the other Madleen activists who courageously risked their security and their freedom to help people hungry from Gaza.”
European Parliament
The seizure of Israel of Madleen “outside of Israeli territorial waters” is a “blatant violation of international law”, said the left, the faction of the European Parliament to which Hassan belongs. “The arrest of crew members and the confiscation of aid for an immediate humanitarian distress population are unacceptable and is clearly part of a wider strategy to starve and massacre the Palestinians in Gaza while hiding Israeli war crimes.”
The United Nations
“Madleen must be released immediately,” said Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur in the occupied Palestinian territories. “Breaking the Siege is a legal duty for states and a moral imperative for all of us. Each Mediterranean port should send boats with help, solidarity and humanity to Gaza. They will sail together – united, they will be unstoppable. ”
Amnesty International
“As occupying power (as recognized by the CIJ (International Court of Justice)), Israel has a legal obligation to ensure that civilians in Gaza have enough food and medicine. They should have let Madleen deliver her humanitarian supplies to Gaza, “said Agnes Callamard, secretary general of international amnesty, affirming the interception of Madeen” violating international law “.