Israeli Navy Intercepts Several Boats As Global Sumud Flotilla Nears Gaza

Jerusalem (AP) – Activists on Ship A fleet of a ship sailing towards Gaza He said that the Israeli Navy caught three boats late on Wednesday. Palestinian territory. Israeli officials, including activists, Greta ThunbergIt was safe and transferred to Israel.

. Global Sumud FlotillaIt has a symbolic humanitarian aid to Gaza, which consists of about 50 boats and 500 activists. According to the organizers who share their vivid positions, Sirius, Alma and Adara boats were caught on 70 sea miles (80 miles) from the shores of Gaza. Group, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla MandelaFormer Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and several European deputies, Israeli blockade to break and bring help, he said. Palestinians.

Greg Stoker, an American veteran in Ohwaya, one of the boats in the fleet, said that a dozen sea ship with transponders is approaching it. In a shaky video published on Instagram, “They are currently greeting our ships, they tell us to close our engines and wait for more instructions, or our boats will be seized and we will face results.” Israeli officials used water balls against some boats, Stoker and other activists reported on social media.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry released a video of a water bottle and a raincoat sitting on the deck of Thunberg in X in X. “Greta and his friends are safe and healthy,” he said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Israeli operation is expected to last 2-3 hours, he said. State TV Rai’ye boats will be withdrawn to Israel’s Ashdod port and activists will be deported in the coming days, he said. In addition, Israel said that he was told to “not use violence ..

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s seizure of boats that condemn it as “terrorism action” and serious violation of international law. The Ministry said in a statement that Turkish citizens and other passengers detained by the Israeli forces were taken to the immediate release of the initiative, he said.

The ships were sailing in international waters in the north of Egypt, and they had entered what activists and others called the “danger zone .. While still in international waters, the Israeli Navy has stopped other boats trying to break the blockade in the past and warned that the fleet does not pass.

In the early hours of Wednesday, after a tense encounter with two Israeli military ships, the activists continued their journey and published their journeys on live currents from several boats. Some activists hired messages of solidarity with people in Gaza and “Free Palestine!” They shouted. on the camera. Music is played in the background.

As the night fell, they identified a few unidentified ships approaching them through radar and put their life vests in front of the close army of the Israeli army. Some activists were able to publish the moment when Israeli forces approached their smartphones live before throwing their devices into the water.

Organizers previously, a month ago, the Fleet began a journey from the port of Barcelona, ​​the Fleet, Thursday morning until the morning of the Gaza said to reach the shores, he said.

The activists agreed that the script was not likely and that the Israeli officials expected to stop them at any time, as they did in past initiatives.

However, by dozens of boats, this fleet was an attempt to break the Israeli sea blockade of the Gaza Strip for 18 years.

The Israeli Navy had reached the Fleet on Wednesday, said they were approaching a “active war zone ve and asked them to change the route. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the Fleet as provocation.

The Israeli government accused some fleet members of being linked to Hamas and offered little evidence to support the claim. The activists strongly rejected the charges and said that Israel was trying to justify potential attacks on them.

Including European governments Spain and Italy, During a part of his journey, he sent navy ships to accompany Flotilya, called on the activists to return and avoid confrontation. However, Italy’s leading Giorgia Meloni said that the fleet’s actions were at risk of weakening US President Donald late on Tuesday. Trump’s proposal to solve the war in GazaThe Spanish Prime Minister defended them.

Pedro Sánchez told journalists on Wednesday, saying, “We should remember that if the Israeli government allows the entry of help, it is a humanitarian task that will not happen.” The authority added that the participating Spaniards will benefit from full diplomatic protection.

“They do not offer threats or danger to Israel,” he said.

The UN Naval Law Convention requires that it has only 12 maritime miles (19 kilometers) from the coast of a state. In general, states have no right to seize ships in international waters, but armed conflict is an exception.

Yuval Shany, an international law expert at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said that Israel’s blockade of Gaza was “military right, – aiming to keep the weapons away and the ship aiming to break the siege. Israel can cut the ship after the warning. Whether the blockade is military right and the legality of the blockade is a point of discussion.

However, the fleet argues that they are a civilian, unarmed group and that the passage of humanitarian aid is guaranteed in international law.

Israeli International Law Specialist Omer Shatz, who taught at the Sciences Po University in Paris and jointized a previous fleet case in front of the Israeli Supreme Court, said to Associated Press even, “International law, international and national places, said that a humanitarian lead in Gaza.

“If the basic needs of the population are not provided by the occupation force, it has the right to provide humanitarian assistance, even if it is provided by the occupation force.” For example, Israel would have the right to ride and search for ships with aid to verify its crow and have the right to search for a similar trucks to Gaza by Kara Gaza.