Flotilla activists incommunicado for 19 hours after Israeli capture
Freedom Flotilla organisers say there has been no contact with the 12 international activists detained by Israeli forces since nearly 19 hours ago.
“We have lawyers on standby who are going to demand they have access to them tonight – as soon as possible,” said Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and a Freedom Flotilla organiser.
The Madleen vessel was carrying humanitarian aid for blockaded Gaza and sailing under a United Kingdom flag when it was forcibly seized by Israeli commandos early this morning.
“These citizens were sailing peacefully under international law, in international waters, and Israel went and forcibly abducted them,” Arraf told Al Jazeera. “This was done, as Israel puts it, to ‘maintain a maritime closure of Gaza’ – which it has no authority to do.”
Arraf also criticised the UK government for failing to issue a strong condemnation of the seizure, noting the Madleen is UK-flagged.
She urged states to hold Israel accountable for what she described as an unlawful act in breach of maritime and humanitarian law. The 12 activists remain in Israeli custody and are expected to be deported from the country.
People protest in central London demanding that the United Kingdom’s government protect the Madleen crew
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