The Israeli naval forces have detained more than 400 propalestinian activists from 41 Global Sumud Flexors to Gaza, the Israeli representative announced on Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the naval forces to stop this fleet. According to the AFP report, TASR reports this.
The fleet loaded with medicines and food consisted of 45 ships and 500 persons
“During the operation, which lasted approximately 12 hours, the members of the Israeli Navy thwarted an extensive attempt to penetrate hundreds of individuals on board 41 vessels, which announced their intention to disrupt the legal sea security blockade of the Gaza band,” the representative said. “At the end of the operation, more than 400 participants were safely transferred to the port of AŠDOD for further proceedings by the Israeli police,” he added.
The Global Sumud fleet, loaded with medicines and food, sailed from Barcelona in early September and consisted of 45 ships with approximately 500 people. Its aim was to break the Israeli blockade of the coastal enclave lasting since 2007 and deliver to this war -destroyed territory of humanitarian aid. The Israeli naval forces have intervened against these ships since Wednesday evening, while several foreign politicians have called on the activists to treat safely. On board one of the stopped ships was also Slovak Peter Švestka.
Stopping the fleet and detention of activists has triggered protests
Greek Foreign Minister George GerapoTritis said that all fleet passengers were in good health and no violence was used against them.
The Prime Minister of the Israeli government of Netanyahu on Thursday highlighted the Israeli naval forces for the detention of the fleet. “Their significant intervention prevented dozens of vessels from entering the war zone and bounced the campaign of delegitimization directed against Israel,” he said.
The stopping of the fleet and the detention of activists has caused protests, and according to the BBC, people gathered in several countries, such as Italy, Greece, Tunisia or Turkey. Pakistan, Bolivia or Malaysia also criticized the steps of Israel. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in response to a fleet intervention announced the expulsion of all Israeli diplomats from Colombia.
On board one of the ships was also former mayor of Barcelona
Demonstrations were also held on Thursday, with about 15,000 people marched in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The demonstrators screamed slogans like: “Gaza, not alone,” “boycott of Israel,” and “freedom of Palestine”. The shots on Spanish television showed how the police took away part of the protesters using batons trying to climb barriers. The former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, was also on board one of the ships of the detained fleet.
Hundreds of people marched in front of the Irish parliament in Dublin. Approximately a thousand people gathered in Paris, while in the port city of Marseille police detained about a hundred propalestinian activists who allegedly tried to block access to the Eurolinks weapons manufacturer, blamed for the sale of Israel military components. The protests were also held in Berlin, Hague, Geneva, Athens, Tunisia, Brazil and Buenos Aires.
Italians are pushing the meloni
In Italy, where the trade unions called a general strike on Friday as a show of solidarity with a fleet, thousands of people gathered and urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to stand up to defend activists. In addition to Rome, where the police were involved in the march of 10,000 people, protests were also made in Milan, Turin, Florence and Bologna.
Approximately 3,000 demonstrators gathered in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels.
The protesters in Turkey, whose government is one of the greatest critics of the Israel War in the Gaza Strip, marched to the Israeli embassy in Istanbul with transparents with inscriptions such as: “a complete embargo for occupation”.
