Israeli Occupation Forces Hijack Ship Carrying Aid To Gaza, Abducts Volunteers On Board
By Desire Tshuma
Gaza: The Embassy of the State of Palestine strongly condemns the egregious act of maritime piracy committed by the Israeli occupation forces, which intercepted the Madaleen solidarity ship carrying vital aid to Gaza in international waters. This brazen act of aggression has resulted in the hijacking of the ship and the abduction of all 12 volunteers on board, including renowned Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
Ambassador Tamer Almassri unequivocally denounces this heinous act as state-sponsored terrorism and maritime piracy, perpetrated by the Israeli genocidal state. The Embassy is deeply concerned that all independent communication with the abductees has been severed since the interception, further exacerbating the alarming situation.
The State of Palestine salutes the courage and determination of the activists of various nationalities aboard the ship, who were attempting to break the illegal siege on the Gaza Strip. For several months, Israel has employed starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians in Gaza, denying them access to basic necessities, including food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.
“The Israeli occupation forces have even converted aid distribution sites into mass slaughterhouses, where desperate and starving Palestinians are slaughtered. The staggering toll of innocent lives lost in aid distribution areas and transported to hospitals has reached 115, with over 1,110 others injured.”
The overall death toll in the Gaza Strip has surged to 54,880, with the majority being women and children, since the beginning of the Israeli aggression in October 2023. At least 126,227 others have been injured, with many victims still trapped under rubble, inaccessible to ambulance and rescue crews.
“The international community must not turn a blind eye to these atrocities. The State of Palestine demands the immediate and unconditional release of all abductees and urges the international community to take concrete actions to end the illegal blockade of Gaza, stop its genocide war and hold Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity. The world must not remain silent in the face of such blatant aggression and terrorism,” added Ambassador Dr Almasri.
