Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the activists held by the Israeli navy after it stopped boats delivering relief to Gaza. The Foreign Ministry of Israel reported that a number of ships belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) had been “safely stopped” and that the people on board were being taken to a port in Israel.
The navy further stated that the ships were “approaching an active combat zone” and had been instructed to alter their path. Boats are still being intercepted Thursday morning, according to the GSF. 30 boats were reportedly still “sailing strong to Gaza” and 46 nautical miles from their objective, according to the statement earlier.
The interception was characterized as “illegal” and “a brazen act of desperation” rather than “an act of defense. Within the flotilla, the organisation has claimed that one ship was “deliberately rammed at sea” and that water cannons struck other vessels.
It demonstrates the tremendous extent to which the occupier will go in order to maintain Gaza’s isolation and starvation,” GSF posted on social media. If humanitarian aid is successful, their siege will fail, thus they will strike a civilian mission that is operating peacefully.
Although it is unclear whether the boats had crossed the blockade zone, the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the flotilla had been told it was “violating a lawful naval blockade that encompasses the waters adjacent to Gaza.
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