Israel arrests 345 activists from the Global Resilience Flotilla and pirates 40 boats
The Israeli occupation forces arrested hundreds of activists participating in the "Global Steadfastness Flotilla" after they intercepted dozens of ships in international waters while heading from the Turkish coast to the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the blockade imposed on it.
The Palestinian news agency "Wafa" quoted Abdul Rahman Al-Kahlout, a member of the team of the Al-Sumud Flot, as saying: "The occupation forces arrested 345 activists from 39 ships participating in the flotilla, while 9 other ships continue their way to the Gaza Strip.
The flotilla set sail last Thursday from the Turkish city of Marmaris, with the participation of 54 boats in a new attempt to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza imposed since 2007, which has turned into a comprehensive blockade since the start of the war of extermination in October 2023.
Racist Tactics and Condemning International Attitudes
In a statement today under the title "Israeli Racism on the High Seas", the "Global Steadfastness Flotilla" revealed that the Israeli army has adopted a misleading plan aimed at dividing the civilian fleet according to nationalities, justifying its aggression by fabricating lies about the existence of boats bearing the Turkish flag, which the authority denied, stressing that all boats sail under European and international flags.
Amnesty International described the maritime interception as a "shameful and inhumane" act, while the UN Secretary-General's spokesman, Farhan Haq, announced during a press conference that the UN organization is following developments with concern and demands that all activists detained in international waters be safeguarded and that they are not subjected to any physical harm.
A Historical Extension of Piracy and the Worsening Humanitarian Situation
This naval piracy is reminiscent of the series of attacks carried out by the occupation army, as it had previously attacked the same flotilla on April 29 off the island of Crete, seizing 21 boats and detaining 175 activists before deporting them.
The targeting of humanitarian aid convoys comes at a time when 2.4 million Palestinians are living in catastrophic conditions and unprecedented famine as a result of two years of the genocidal war, which, according to official statistics, has left more than 72,000 martyrs and 172,000 wounded, and destroyed 90% of the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
Ongoing Violations on the Ground Deep in the Gaza Strip
In this context, Israeli naval fire hit two Palestinian fishermen with bullets and shells from its gunboats off the coast of the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Anadolu Agency quoted a medical source at Nasser Hospital as saying that the two injuries were in moderate condition.
Israeli warplanes launched a violent raid at night targeting the vicinity of the IDP camps in the Mawasi al-Qarara area of Khan Younis, in conjunction with the shelling of a residential square in the Fallujah area of Jabalia camp following telephone evacuation notices.