‘Piracy’: World reacts to Israel’s seizure of Gaza-bound aid vessel Madleen

Governments and NGOs condemn Israel’s interception successful planetary waters of the ship, which sought to bring attraction to the humanitarian situation successful Gaza.

Israel has intercepted a Gaza-bound assistance ship, preventing the 12 activists connected board, including Swedish clime campaigner Greta Thunberg, from reaching the blockaded Palestinian territory.

Israeli forces “forcibly intercepted” the Madleen successful planetary waters overnight astir 100 nautical miles (185km) from Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition NGO said successful a connection connected Monday. Al Jazeera mislaid interaction with the vas astatine 7:00 GMT.

Apart from Thunberg, those taken into custody by Israel are Palestinian French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi and Reva Viard from France; Thiago Avila from Brazil; Suayb Ordu from Turkiye; Sergio Toribio from Spain; Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands; Yasemin Acar from Germany; and Omar Faiad, a writer with Al Jazeera Mubasher, besides from France.

Israel has detained the unit for “interrogation”.

Here’s however the satellite has reacted:

Palestine

The interception of the Madleen is simply a “flagrant usurpation of planetary law”, Hamas said successful a statement, calling for the activists connected committee to beryllium released and saying it holds Israel “fully accountable for their safety”.

“Israel has nary ineligible authorization to restrict entree to Palestine since specified is wrong the exclusive close of the Palestinian people,” said the rights organisation Al-Haq, which is based successful Ramallah successful the occupied West Bank.

Iran

“The battle connected this flotilla, since it happened successful planetary waters, is considered a signifier of piracy nether planetary law,” said Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Turkiye

Israel’s interception of the Madleen is simply a “clear usurpation of planetary law” that “once again demonstrates that Israel is acting arsenic a panic state”, Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said successful a statement.

France

President Emmanuel Macron “has asked that our six French nationals beryllium allowed to instrumentality to France arsenic soon arsenic possible,” said the Elysee Palace successful a property release. “We person asked to beryllium capable to workout our consular extortion implicit them” and to “visit them”, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot added.

Spain

Spain has summoned Dan Poraz, complaint d’affaires astatine the Israeli embassy successful Madrid, reported the Spanish paper El Pais and Al Jazeera Arabic, quoting a root astatine Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Australia

The Jewish Council of Australia has expressed “grave concerns for the activists connected committee the Gaza Freedom Flotilla” and called “on the Australian authorities to urgently intervene to unafraid the contiguous merchandise of the vas and information of the crew”.

United States

“We powerfully condemn the cowardly and amerciable Israeli onslaught connected the Madleen arsenic it approached Gaza with desperately needed humanitarian supplies,” the Council connected American-Islamic Relations said. “We applaud Greta Thunberg and the different activists of the Madleen who bravely risked their information and state to assistance the starving radical of Gaza.”

European Parliament

Israel’s seizure of the Madleen “outside Israeli territorial waters” is simply a “blatant usurpation of planetary law”, said The Left, the European Parliament faction that Hassan belongs to. “The apprehension of the unit members and the confiscation of assistance intended for a colonisation successful contiguous humanitarian distress is unacceptable and is intelligibly portion of a wider strategy to starve and massacre Palestinians successful Gaza portion hiding Israeli warfare crimes from the world.”

United Nations

“Madleen indispensable beryllium released immediately,” United Nations Special Rapporteur connected the Occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese said. “Breaking the siege is simply a ineligible work for states and a motivation imperative for each of us. Every Mediterranean larboard should nonstop boats with aid, solidarity and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail unneurotic – united, they volition beryllium unstoppable.”

Amnesty International

“As the occupying powerfulness (as recognised by the ICJ [International Court of Justice]), Israel has a ineligible work to guarantee civilians successful Gaza person capable nutrient and medicine. They should person fto Madleen present its humanitarian supplies to Gaza,” said Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International, asserting that Israel’s interception of the Madleen “violates planetary law”.