The flotilla with help to Gaza foresees new attacks by potentially lethal Israel
The Global Sumud Fotilla, made up of 51 ships that sailed from the coasts of Spain, Tunisia, Italy and Greece with the aim of reaching Gaza to break the Israeli block, warned this Thursday that it foresees “new attacks” of Israel in the next 48 hours, with “heavy” weapons that “could sink the vessels” or, even, “kill the participants”.
In a note disseminated by the organization, the flotilla warns of the international community “about credible intelligence information that indicates that Israel intensifies violent attacks against the flotilla, potentially using weapons that could sink boats and hurt or kill participants.”
The global Sumud Flotilla, the most extensive maritime humanitarian mission organized so far, is made up of some 500 activists who continue to sail a few kilometers south of the Greek island of Crete, heading southeast, according to a spokeswoman for the Coast Guard of Greece.
The alert occurs less than 48 hours after the mission, which began in Spain in early September, denounced, early Wednesday, “14 explosions” and flight of “unidentified drones”, as well as “interference in communications”, during its journey towards the Palestine strip in the Mediterranean. According to the crew, the explosions were heard “in and around several ships of the flotilla” and were seen “objects that were thrown on at least ten vessels, from drones or aircraft, causing damage.”
Faced with “these threats”, the Steering Committee of the Flotilla “has taken immediate precautions to further prioritize the safety of the participants”, which, “were protected by the conventions of Geneva and international maritime law.”
In addition, the mission will have the support of a maritime action ship of the Spanish Navy, which prepares to leave Cartagena (Murcia), as the president of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, who said that the boat is sent for possible bailouts, “in case there is some difficulty” on Wednesday.
On the other hand, given the high risk of the flotilla, Italy has urged activists to accept the plan to deliver their humanitarian load in Cyprus because “once they have abandoned international waters and entered the waters of another state, security cannot be guaranteed”, since Israel considers it “a hostile act.” Meanwhile, the Israel government – which links the Mission with the Palestinian Islamist Group Hamás, who qualifies as “jihadist” – proposes that the aid be delivered in Israeli ports to be organized and distributed from there. However, the organizers of the initiative have rejected the proposal and qualify it as a “sustained campaign of intimidation and misinformation by Israel”, which tries to “preventively justify a military action against a non -violent humanitarian mission directed by civilians.” (EFE)
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