Israeli naval forces boarded most of the vessels in a flotilla attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza on Thursday and detained dozens aboard, including European lawmakers, drawing widespread condemnation.
The Global Sumud Flotilla was the largest yet to try to break the blockade, and it comes at a time of growing criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where its offensive has laid waste to wide swaths of territory and killed tens of thousands of people.
Activists had said they hoped that the sheer number of boats would make it more difficult for Israeli authorities to intercept them all – but Israel’s Foreign Ministry declared the operation over on Thursday afternoon.
Supporters of the flotilla took to the streets in several major cities after news of the interception broke – including in Rome; Istanbul; Athens, Greece; and Buenos Aires, Argentina – to decry the Israeli operation and the ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The flotilla, which started out with more than 40 boats and nearly 450 activists, was carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Its main goal, they said, remained “to break Israel’s illegal siege and end the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.”
The organizers of the flotilla said at least 39 of their boats were intercepted or assumed intercepted in a nightlong Israeli operation. Israeli authorities later said only one boat remained “at a distance” and would be intercepted if it approached.
Pakistan and several other countries on Thursday condemned Israel’s “dastardly attack” on the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) after its forces intercepted the flotilla heading to break Israel’s siege of Gaza and deliver aid.
In a post on X during the early hours of Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said: “Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly attack by Israeli forces on the 40 vessel Samud Gaza flotilla, carrying over 450 humanitarian workers from 44 countries. We hope and pray for the safety of all those who have been illegally apprehended by Israeli forces and call for their immediate release.”
“Their crime was to carry aid for the hapless Palestinian people,” he said. “This barbarity must end. Peace must be given a chance, and humanitarian aid must reach those in need,” the premier asserted.
In another post later in the day, he commended the presence of Pakistanis, including former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmad, on the Global Sumud Flotilla.
They participated in this “great aid mission in line with the principles of humanity”, he said, adding that their initiative reflected Pakistanis’ “peace-loving aspirations, struggle for justice, spirit of helping those in need”, he said.
The PM added that the Pakistan government supported the “principles of respect for human life … and uninterrupted aid. It demands the return of its citizens. It is trying and prays for their safety, dignity, and earliest possible return to the country”.
Strong-worded condemnations also poured in from other countries – including the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Turkiye, Spain, Colombia, Brazil and South Africa – with some voicing concern for their citizens part of the mission and held by Israel.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the expulsion of Israel’s entire diplomatic delegation on Wednesday following the detention of two Colombians in the flotilla. Israel has not had an ambassador in Colombia since last year.
Petro called the detentions a potential “new international crime” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded the release of the Colombians. He also terminated Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel.
Separately, the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) also strongly condemned the attack, stating: “The unlawful detention of international activists onboard the flotilla constitutes yet another flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law by Israel, and endangers the lives of innocent civilians.”
It demanded the “immediate release of all humanitarian workers and activists on board the flotilla”, urging Israel to respect international law. The FO also called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its “repeated violations of international law”.
President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday strongly condemned Israeli aggression against Sumud Gaza Flotilla.
In a statement, the President paid tribute to the bravery and humanitarianism of Pakistani citizens on the flotilla. He said that the attack on the aid mission was a serious violation of human rights and international laws.