On Tuesday, 10 countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, and Spain, issued a joint statement condemning Israel for intercepting the humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza and detaining international activists.
The foreign ministers of the participating countries described Israel’s actions as a blatant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.
According to the joint statement, the countries strongly condemned Israel’s recent actions against the flotilla, which sought to draw the international community’s attention to the severe humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The foreign ministers called on Israel to immediately release the detained activists and respect their rights.
Organizers of the aid flotilla said the Israeli military opened fire to stop several ships in the convoy before boarding them, seizing control, and detaining hundreds of international activists as the vessels were heading toward the Gaza Strip through international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the flotilla’s crisis management team, at least 347 people from 40 countries have been detained, including 74 Turkish citizens.
