{"id":47986,"date":"2026-05-01T11:45:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=47986"},"modified":"2026-05-01T11:45:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:45:26","slug":"this-is-piracy-israel-condemned-for-seizure-of-gaza-bound-flotilla-near-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/this-is-piracy-israel-condemned-for-seizure-of-gaza-bound-flotilla-near-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018This Is Piracy\u2019: Israel Condemned for Seizure of Gaza-Bound Flotilla Near Greece"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Global<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vessels taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla 2026 Spring Mission to Gaza depart from the marina in Augusta, on the island of Sicily, Italy, on April 26, 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Photo by Baris Seckin\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow on Earth,\u201d asked the UN\u2019s top Palestine expert, \u201cis possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece\/Europe?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr 30, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palestine<\/a> defenders on Thursday condemned Israeli forces\u2019 raid of the latest Global Sumud Flotilla\u2014which was sailing off the Greek coast while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid<\/a> to Gaza\u2014and the arrest of more than 200 of its participants, with some prominent critics calling the seizure an act of piracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenpeace<\/a> International\u2014whose MY Arctic<\/a> Sunrise <\/em>is the flotilla\u2019s most prominent ship\u2014said<\/a> that the maritime convoy\u2019s 58 vessels were \u201cboarded and harassed by Israeli forces in international waters 45 nautical miles west of the Greek island Kythira and 600 nautical miles from Gaza<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECOMMENDED…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Protesters<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Varoufakis Decries Western Complicity as Gaza Flotilla Leaders Abducted by Israel<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Palestinian<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018It Seems Nothing Is Moving the World to Stop Israel\u2019s Terrorism\u2019: Palestinian Poet Shares Photos of 9-Year-Old Girl Killed<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Flotilla organizers\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0on X: \u201cOur boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as \u2018Israel\u2019, pointing lasers and semi-automatic weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees. The boat communications are being jammed and an SOS was issued.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

X post: https:\/\/x.com\/CraigMokhiber\/status\/2049820537426211168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2049820537426211168%7Ctwgr%5E82b313311fc7090f219c8f7a6cc121757601dbc6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fisrael-flotilla-piracy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organizers said 211 flotilla participants were seized by Israeli forces. Flotilla activist Yasmine Scola said<\/a> members were \u201ckidnapped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global Sumud France<\/a> spokesperson Helene Coron said<\/a> that 10 French nationals, including communist Paris City Council Member Raphaelle Primet, were seized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe don\u2019t have the information for the other nationalities, but the boats were mixed in terms of nationality, so there were crew members from all 48 delegations,\u201d Coron added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel\u2019s Foreign Ministry said that \u201capproximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats… are now making their way peacefully to Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to Israel\u2019s interception, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis<\/a> said<\/a> on social media<\/a> that his country\u2019s government \u201cis either complicit or incapable of defending our seas from Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo much for freedom of navigation and\u00a0international law<\/a>,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

X post: https:\/\/x.com\/FranceskAlbs\/status\/2049729807038996657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2049729807038996657%7Ctwgr%5E82b313311fc7090f219c8f7a6cc121757601dbc6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fisrael-flotilla-piracy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independent British Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn<\/a> said<\/a> of the flotilla members: \u201cThey were not intercepted. They were abducted in international waters. This is piracy\u2014and is a flagrant violation of international law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another British lawmaker, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, wrote<\/a> on X that \u201clast night, Israel\u2019s navy committed an act of armed piracy in international waters, threatening unarmed civilians aboard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur government must condemn this attack, extend diplomatic protection to British participants, and work to ensure safe passage,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The migrant search and rescue group SOS Mediterranee France said<\/a> on X that \u201cattacking or threatening\u201d Global Sumud Flotilla vessels \u201cin international waters constitutes a violation of maritime law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFurthermore, the Geneva Conventions are clear: Any person engaged in a humanitarian mission must be protected.\u00a0Solidarity<\/a>\u00a0is not a crime, Preventing aid, however, is,\u201d the group added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

X post: https:\/\/x.com\/APAN4Palestine\/status\/2049730250674967019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2049730250674967019%7Ctwgr%5E82b313311fc7090f219c8f7a6cc121757601dbc6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fisrael-flotilla-piracy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United States<\/a>, Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Nihad Awad said in a statement that \u201cCongress must demand that the Israeli apartheid<\/a> government immediately release the American citizens and other humanitarian activists it kidnapped in international waters in a blatant violation of international law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur nation would not tolerate, much less fund, the kidnapping of American citizens in international waters off the coast of Greece<\/a> by any other state,\u201d Awad added. \u201cIt is long past time for the out-of-control Netanyahu regime to face consequences of its crimes, including American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States supports Israel with tens of billions of dollars in armed aid<\/a>, and diplomatic cover including repeated vetoes<\/a> of United Nations<\/a> Security Council cease-fire<\/a> resolutions for Gaza<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, dozens of boats carrying hundreds of activists from over 40 nations took part in the last Global Sumud Flotilla\u2014sumud means \u201cperseverance\u201d in Arabic\u2014as it attempted to break Israel\u2019s naval blockade and deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid<\/a> including food, medicines, and baby formula to starving Gazans amid a growing famine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israeli forces intercepted<\/a> and seized<\/a> the flotilla vessels in international waters in early October, arresting all aboard the boats and temporarily jailing them in Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, Israeli forces raided<\/a> one of the first convoys carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea. The attackers killed nine volunteers aboard the MV Mavi Marmara<\/em>, including Turkish-American teenager <\/strong>Furkan Do\u011fan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of past Gaza flotillas have reported<\/a> abuse at the hands of their Israeli captors, although they have urged the world to focus not on them, but rather the people of Gaza, who have endured nearly 31 months of genocidal war and siege.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 250,000 Palestinians<\/a> have been killed or wounded<\/a> by Israeli forces since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, including thousands who are still missing<\/a> and presumed dead and buried beneath rubble. Most victims<\/a> are civilians<\/a>. Around 2 million other Gazans have been forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel\u2014whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>, is wanted<\/a> by the International Criminal Court<\/a> for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes<\/a> in Gaza\u2014is facing an ongoing genocide case<\/a> at the International Court of Justice<\/a> in The Hague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Israeli government continues to blockade Gaza by land and sea, strictly limiting the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged coastal strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe renew our call on world leaders to take concrete and immediate action in the face of the\u00a0genocide<\/a>\u00a0being inflicted by Israel on the people of Gaza,\u201d Pujarini Sen, project lead aboard the\u00a0Arctic Sunrise<\/em>,\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Thursday. \u201cThe international community\u2019s ongoing failure to enforce international law leaves it culpable for Israel\u2019s actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Bio ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vessels taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla 2026 Spring Mission to Gaza depart from the marina in Augusta, on the island of Sicily, Italy, on April 26, 2026.  (Photo by Baris Seckin\/Anadolu via Getty Images) \u201cHow on Earth,\u201d asked the UN\u2019s top Palestine expert, \u201cis possible that Israel is… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47986"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47987,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47986\/revisions\/47987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}