Detained Gaza-bound flotilla members will be transferred to Greece, Sa’ar says |
Participants from a Gaza-bound, anti-Israel flotilla intercepted by Israel off the coast of Greece were being transferred to Israeli custody on Thursday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced.
The statement came as European nations slammed Israel’s pre-dawn interception of at least 21 of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s 58 boats near Crete, over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from Israel — much farther than previous interceptions of Gaza-bound flotillas.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Israel acted after the flotilla “actively attempted to block an Israeli merchant vessel.”
“This is why Israel acted early, peacefully, in accordance with international law, and with the aim of ensuring the safety and security of all those on board – and it will continue to do so,” said the ministry.
Israel says some 175 activists were detained, while a spokesperson for the flotilla later put the figure at 211.
Writing on X, Sa’ar said “all participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed” following their bid “to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
“In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours,” he said, thanking the Greek government “for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants.”
“We call on anyone who is not interested in provocations but rather in humanitarian aid to Gaza to do so through the BOP, which also issued a statement on the matter today,” Sa’ar said, referring to the US-led Board of Peace that is tasked with overseeing the post-war management of Gaza.
The activists aboard the flotilla departed from Spain earlier this month, after organizing a similar operation last year with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and hundreds more participants that was carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday hailed the Israeli Navy for “completely successfully” carrying out the interception.
“Not one........