Crews aboard Global Sumud Flotilla, who are part of unarmed crew with critical humanitarian aid bound for Gaza, say Israeli naval forces have boarded their ship and threatened them at gunpoint.
According to globalsumudflotilla.org/tracker, as of 2.24pm on April 30, 22 boats have been intercepted and 36 are still sailing.
Juliet and Isla Lamont are two Northern Rivers residents among 14 Australians who departed ports in Italy recently, with crews representing more than 55 countries. In a media release, organisers say, ‘They join the largest humanitarian maritime mission in history, with over thousands participants on more than 80 boats. The flotilla’s mission is to break the naval blockade that has isolated Gaza since 2007, and deliver 500 tonnes of critical aid including medicine, food and baby formula’.
They report that their radio signals were jammed and the Israelis have abducted Dr Bianca Webb Pullman, Ethan Floyd and Zack Schofield, and that ‘legal experts are calling [this] an act of armed piracy in international waters’.
In a statement from the flotilla crew, they say, ‘Its participants are engaged in legally protected activity under international maritime law. There is no legal justification for what occurred tonight’.
‘Earlier, multiple flotilla boats reported radio communications jamming. Military drones and vessels were sighted. An IOF vessel ordered the flotilla to divert aid through Israeli-controlled channels.
‘We are calling on the Australian Government to act immediately to:
- Issue an unequivocal condemnation of Israel’s actions as a violation of international law
- Extend immediate diplomatic protection to all Australian participants
- Communicate urgently with the Greek government to ensure safe passage
‘Our people are at sea. The Australian Government must act now’.
Ethan FLoyd, an Australian aboard the flotilla said on Instagram earlier: “We are less than a week into our journey and it seems as though interception is imminent for us. We are seeing multiple boats being boarded and being intercepted.
“We are a non-violent civilian humanitarian mission carrying aid to the people of Gaza and that’s what this is all about.”
Zack Schofield, also aboard the flotilla said: “We’ve had drones flying over us all night and there are many reports of brigettes, warships and tactical RIBs with tactical units on board shining lights and harassing the fleet.
“We’re nowhere close to the claimed territorial waters of Israel, and what is really terrifying about this is that it’s yet another example of Israel breaking every single international law in the book to continue their genocide of the Palestinians. If they are seizing us here on the high seas that is so clearly an act of kidnapping and piracy under international law, the question is will any of our governments take action against them?
“The question for the Australian people should be, how can we be allies with a country who is willing to break every single international law in the book to arrest and imprison and detain humanitarian volunteers on a humanitarian mission literally two weeks sail from Israel itself?”
Neve O’Connor, another flotilla participant said: “We are in the sight of a potential warship from an unknown entity. We don’t know what’s going on. We’re completely at a loss, our radios have been jammed, there’s drone activity… we’re preparing for interception.”
For more info visit https://globalsumudflotilla.org/tracker/
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