Israeli Forces Detain 175 Activists From Gaza-Bound Flotilla Off Crete

Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off Crete earlier in the week and detained many of the ships, with the Foreign Ministry saying that by Thursday morning some 175 activists had been detained and 21 boats had been intercepted. The Times of Israel said two activists who led the flotilla were being brought to Israel as suspects on Friday, after the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete. The Foreign Ministry confirmed that “Saif Abu Keshek, suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization, and Thiago Ávila, suspected of illegal activity, will be brought to Israel for questioning,” without providing evidence. The flotilla was comprised of 58 boats, and the Israeli Navyintercepted it overnight between Wednesday and Thursday off the coast of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles from Israel.

Spain’s and Brazil’s governments accused Israel of “kidnapping” its citizens, while the activists’ steering committee said the mission was to break Israel’s naval blockade and bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. NBC News reported that in a joint statement the governments of Brazil and Spain condemned “the kidnapping of two of their citizens in international waters by the Government of Israel,” and demanded the immediate return of their citizens and immediate consular access. The Times of Israel reported that the Greek foreign ministry said it had asked Israel to withdraw its ships from the area and had offered its “good services” for the activists to disembark in Greece and be repatriated. The U.S. backed Israeli authorities, with the State Department describing the flotilla as a “stunt” and saying it expects allies to deny port access, docking, departure and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it had intercepted 175 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla and that blockade enforcement is vital to stop weapons reaching the territory, while Euronews reported that Israeli naval forces intercepted 22 ships and arrested 175 activists. Amnesty International said the interception “underscores the dangerous consequences of decades of impunity” and warned of “grave concerns for the safety of the around 175 activists arbitrarily detained and being transported to Israel.” The Amnesty International statement also said the crew must be immediately and unconditionally released and that Israel’s authorities must ensure activists are granted access to consular support and treated humanely. Organizers said 31 of the remaining vessels have continued on their route to attempt to “break the illegal siege of Gaza,” even as the U.S. explored imposing “consequences” on those who support the flotilla.