Israel's illegal interception of the Gaza aid flotilla triggered global condemnation Thursday, as protesters took to the streets in Italy, Colombia, Greece, Ireland and Türkiye.
The boats, belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), were about 70 nautical miles (129.64 kilometers) off Gaza when they were intercepted, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching. The organizers said their communications, including the use of a live camera feed from some of the boats, had been scrambled.
In a statement, Palestinian resistance group Hamas expressed support for the activists and called Israel's interception of the flotilla a "criminal act," calling for public protests to condemn Israel.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also condemned the interception of the flotilla as a violation of international law, asserting that Israel had neither authority nor sovereignty over Palestinian "territorial waters," including those off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condemned in the "strongest terms" Israel's attack on the humanitarian aid flotilla, warning that his country will take all legal measures to hold Tel Aviv accountable, especially when its citizens are involved.
