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Roger McKenzie for Morning Star.
At least 87 Gaza aid flotilla activists kidnapped by Israeli forces have begun a hunger strike, according to organisers.
Israel’s navy illegally intercepted and boarded flotilla vessels in international waters on Monday and Tuesday.
The activists are striking “in protest of their illegal abduction and in solidarity with the over 9,500 Palestinian hostages held in Israeli dungeons,” the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on social media today.
On Tuesday night, Israeli forces “kidnapped” six activists on board the Lina al-Nabulsi, organisers reported.
The vessel was the last in a flotilla of more than 50 that left the Turkish port of Marmaris last week to sail to Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave and provide humanitarian aid.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Tuesday night that its forces were taking hundreds of flotilla participants to Israel.
“Another PR flotilla has come to an end. All 430 activists have been transferred to Israeli vessels and are making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives,” a ministry spokesman said, calling the effort “nothing more than a PR stunt.”
Israeli forces began intercepting the vessels in international waters off the coast of Cyprus on Monday, organisers said, alleging that naval personnel fired rubber bullets and kidnapped activists.
Those detained include nine Indonesian citizens, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said today. Indonesia called for the immediate release of all vessels and said that “every diplomatic channel and consular measure will continue to be fully utilised.”
Some 15 Irish citizens, including Margaret Connolly, a doctor and the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, were among those detained by Israeli forces.
Other countries, including Turkey, Spain, Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Libya and the Maldives have condemned Israel’s actions as “blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”
Detained activists were taken to the port city of Ashdod and visited by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who told them they should remain in prison for a “long, long time.”
Amid pictures of activists with their hands tied behind their backs, Mr Ben-Gvir said: “Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords.”
He added that the activists “came here all full of pride, like big heroes. Look at them now,” while appealing to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to grant him permission to imprison them.
