Foreign ministers from 11 countries, including Türkiye, Brazil, Spain and Pakistan, on April 30 strongly condemned Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, describing it as a violation of international law and calling for the immediate release of detained activists.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Pakistan, South Africa and Spain denounced Israel’s actions against the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the worsening crisis in Gaza.
The ministers said the interception of the vessels and the detention of humanitarian activists in international waters constituted a clear breach of international law and international humanitarian law.
They expressed deep concern for the safety of the civilian activists and urged Israeli authorities to take immediate steps to ensure their release.
The statement also called on the international community to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities by protecting civilians, preserving international law and ensuring accountability for violations.
The Global Sumud Flotilla was described as a peaceful effort to highlight the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has drawn increasing global concern.
Israeli forces surrounded the boats more than 600 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip, just off the coast of the island of Crete, detaining over 200 activists on board.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, aims to break Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor by sea.
The move came hours after Hebrew media reported that Israel was preparing to intercept the flotilla, which includes around 100 boats in total carrying nearly 1,000 activists from several countries.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving about 1.5 million Palestinians out of roughly 2.4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war.
