'Israel' detains 223 activists aboard intl. aid flotilla
'Israel' detains 223 activists aboard intl. aid flotilla
M.U.H
02/10/202542
TEHRAN: Israel’s navy on Friday night began to intercept the large flotilla attempting to break its maritime blockade on the besiged Gaza Strip, arresting 223 activists aboard the international aid flotilla.
A total of 223 international activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid convoy were detained by the Israeli regime forces, organizers said on Thursday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said through the US social media company X that 15 boats were confirmed attacked by the Israeli forces since late Wednesday, as eight others are likely to be or currently under attack, Anadulu Agnecy reported.
The flotilla shared on the US social media company Instagram the names and nationalities of 223 activists aboard the attacked vessels.
Meanwhile, the official flotilla tracker showed that 20 vessels have been attacked by the Israeli forces, as 24 others continue their way to Gaza.
Anadolu cited Erdem Ozveren, a Turkish activist from the global mission, as saying that their vessel was less than 30 nautical miles away from Gaza.
The flotilla, made up of about 50 ships with over 500 activists onboard, set sail earlier this month to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the besieged Palestinian territory
According to the organizers, the Sumud flotilla has been described as the largest maritime mission of its kind in decades, with more than 50 vessels and delegations from at least 44 countries expected to converge on Gaza’s waters in coming days.
The flotilla was attacked last week by projectiles launched by Israeli drones, while anchored in Tunisia on September 8 and 9. The Tunisian government described the attacks as "premeditated".
Palestinians in Gaza have been battling genocide, devastation, and famine. UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 66,000 people have been killed since October 2023.
Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid has left Gaza’s 2.2 million residents with dwindling access to food, clean water, and medicine, conditions that UN officials warn have reached a “nightmare scale.”
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.
On 21 November 2024, following an investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials, Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of War of Israel.
