Israeli naval forces board pro-Palestinian flotilla 75 miles from Gaza | Gaza flotilla

At least two boats of a pro-Palestinian flotilla were embarked by Israeli forces at around 75 miles off the coast of Gaza, while the ships were trying to violate the maritime blockade of the territory torn by the war and to provide help.

Several media have indicated that other boats were also intercepted.

The raid started with the largest ship in the flotilla, Alma, whose crew was detained Wednesday by Israeli soldiers.

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg was one of those aboard the Alma.

In a video message published on Instagram shortly before interception, Thunberg said: “My name is Greta Thunberg. I’m on board the Alma ship. We are about to be intercepted by Israel.”

Thunberg, as well as other Alma activists, were arrested and placed in police custody at the Israeli Port of Ashdod.

The Flotilla Global Sumud, which consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying around 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Thunberg, headed for Gaza providing humanitarian aid despite repeated warnings from Israel to go back.

The ships were sailing in international waters north of Egypt on Wednesday afternoon and had entered what was described as a “danger zone” or a “high risk zone”.

Although it is still in international waters, it is an area where the Israeli navy has prevented other boats that try to break its blockade in the past and that the flotilla had been warned not to cross.

Around 7:25 p.m., around 20 Israeli naval ships approached the flotilla and ordered the boats to extinguish their engines, militants on social networks said. The live images of the flotilla showed passengers seated in a semicircle, wearing rescue gilets while waiting for interception. The broadcast was cut shortly after.

“Our ships are intercepted by illegally,” read a message on the Flotilla Instagram page read Wednesday evening. “The cameras are offline and the ships were taken on from military staff. We actively work to confirm the security and status of all participants on board. ”

The Israeli army has taken control of six ships: Adara; Alma; Deir Yassin; Hoga; Sirus; and specters.

However, some boats were reported by witnesses to move forward, while Israeli ships have tried to block their passage using water cannons.

Images broadcast by Sky Italia have shown activists on the bridge struck by powerful jets of water. People on board said they also heard noisy fringes near several boats, supposed to be stunned grenades that have fallen from drones.

In one of the last messages sent on board, Yasemin Acar, a member of the fleeting committee of the flotilla, said that Israeli ships had surrounded the Alma.

“THE [Israel Defense Forces are] Now surrounding the Alma ship on both sides of the boat, “said Acar.” They are close. We position ourselves and ready to be intercepted. »»

The interceptions were confirmed by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said: “The Israeli navy contacted the Flatilla de Gaza Aid and asked them to change course to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where the aid can be discharged and transferred to the Gaza Strip.”

The flotilla insisted on continuing the trip to Gaza. Early in the morning, militants said that two Israeli warships have aggressively approached two of their boats, surrounding them and blurring their communications, including the cameras on board.

The Italian Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that his Israeli counterpart had assured him that the FDI would not use violence against activists aboard the flotilla.

“Boarding was planned, we talk about it … with [the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar] So that there are no violent actions from the Armed Forces of Tel Aviv, and that was assured to me, “Antonio Tajani told the Italian television broadcaster Rai.

“We asked our Embassy of Tel Aviv and the Consulate in Jerusalem to help all the Italians who will probably be taken to Ashdod, but who will then be expelled,” he added.

Thousands of people went down to the streets of Italy in a wave of spontaneous demonstrations after the forces of the Israeli navy are on board boats, with demonstrations in Bari, Bologna, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Pisa and Rome.

On Friday, Italian unions called for a general strike in support of Palestine.

The Israeli government has accused some members of the flotilla of being linked to Hamas, while providing no evidence in support of the complaint. Activists firmly rejected the accusations and said ISRAEL was trying to justify potential attacks on them.

European governments, including Spain and Italy, who had sent their navy ships to escort the flotilla during part of its trip, had urged activists to turn around and avoid confrontation.

But while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said late Tuesday that flotilla the actions were likely to undermine Donald Trump’s recent proposal to resolve the war in Gaza, the Spanish Prime Minister defended the initiative.

“We must remember that it is a humanitarian mission that would not take place if the Israeli government had authorized the entrance to the aid,” Pedro Sánchez told journalists on Wednesday. The participating Spaniards would benefit from complete diplomatic protection, he added.

If he was not disrupted, the flotilla, which started its trip from the Spanish port of Barcelona a month ago, was to reach the banks of Gaza before Thursday morning, the group said.

The naval blockade was imposed in 2009 by Israel, an intensification of its Gaza blocking in 2007 in response to the takeover of the territory of Hamas. He has been sentenced on numerous occasions by the United Nations, who described it as “direct violation of international human rights and humanitarian law”.

Yuval Shany, an expert in international law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that as long as the Israel of Gaza’s blockade is “militarily justified” – intended to prevent weapons – and that the ship intended to break the seat, Israel can intercept the ship after the previous warning.

The question of whether the blockade is militarily justified and its legality are points of discord.

But the flotilla maintains that it is a civilian group and not armed and that the adoption of humanitarian aid is guaranteed in international law. The attempts at previous activists to break the naval blockade on Gaza were arrested by force by the Israeli army.

In 2010, 10 Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who made a descent into the ship of Mavi Marmara leading a fleet of aid to Gaza.