Greek Activists Detained in Gaza Flotilla Raid Disembark in Israel

The Gaza flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces. Credit: @GlobalSumudF/X

Greek pro-Palestinian activists participating successful the flotilla to Gaza and detained astatine oversea by Israeli forces disembarked successful Israel, wherever Greek diplomats are offering assistance, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Ministry spokeswoman Lana Zochiou stated that Greek citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels—which were intercepted successful the eastbound Mediterranean— disembarked astatine the Israeli larboard of Ashdod for recognition and registration by section authorities. She added that the Greek ambassador to Israel, a close state of Greece, volition question to Ashdod connected Thursday to supply nonstop aid.

“The Foreign Ministry volition guarantee that each consular assistance is provided, and volition instrumentality enactment truthful that their repatriation is carried retired arsenic accelerated arsenic possible,” Zochiou said. Greece has formally summoned Israel to guarantee the information of its citizens, demanding that “the principles of planetary instrumentality are afloat adhered to, and that the Greek citizens’ dignity and rights are respected.”

While reports suggest that 19 Greek nationals whitethorn beryllium progressive successful the flotilla mission, the spokesperson noted that the fig has not yet been officially confirmed and volition beryllium verified during the registration process.

High-Seas interceptions and allegations of force

The Greek detainees were portion of a larger planetary effort that culminated earlier this week, pursuing an cognition wherever Israeli forces intercepted each remaining vessels of the activistic flotilla. The inaugural was organized to item the grim surviving conditions of astir 2 cardinal Palestinians facing terrible shortages of housing, food, and medicine successful Gaza.

According to the flotilla’s website, Israeli forces began stopping the vessels—which departed past week from Turkey—roughly 167 miles (268 kilometers) from the Gaza coastline. On Monday, the Israeli navy had already halted immoderate 41 boats successful planetary waters disconnected Cyprus, detaining those connected board. By Tuesday and aboriginal Wednesday, the remaining ships were boarded.

A unrecorded provender from the organizers’ website showed equipped Israeli soldiers boarding the vessels arsenic activists successful beingness vests raised their hands. Soldiers were past seen destroying cameras mounted connected the ships. Flotilla organizers claimed Israeli forces fired connected 5 boats during the interdictions, causing immoderate damage.

The Global Sumud Flotilla organizers stated Wednesday that hundreds of detained activists from implicit 40 nations were “being forcibly transported” by an Israeli vessel to an Israeli port. The radical has demanded the “immediate, unconditional merchandise of each our participants, alongside the much than 9,000 unjustly detained Palestinian governmental prisoners,” calling connected satellite leaders to unit Israel.

Organizers besides raised “grave and contiguous concerns” regarding the carnal information of those presently held. They cited testimonies from a erstwhile radical of activists detained during an April 30 interdiction, who alleged “patterns of torture, terrible carnal maltreatment and invasive intersexual violence” by Israeli forces—allegations that Israel has powerfully denied.