LIVE Middle East | Arrested Dutch Gaza boat activists on hunger strike: 'Refusing food from land that starves Palestinians'
The Dutch vessel Mohammed Bhar, part of the relief flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza, has been intercepted by the Israeli army. The six Dutch people on board have been arrested, a spokeswoman reported. Two other Dutch nationals were previously arrested. Follow all developments in the Middle East in our live blog.
The main points:
The activist flotilla trying to reach Gaza accuses the Israeli navy of "aggressive" tactics in stopping ships.
Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip continues unabated. At least 73 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombardments on Wednesday.
The Dutch government still wants to explore the possibility of evacuating several seriously ill children from Gaza for treatment in a Dutch hospital . Foreign Minister David van Weel announced this in a letter to Parliament on Thursday morning.
The family of arrested pro-Palestine activist Osman Tastan (62) from Steenbergen, together with Free Palestine Bergen op Zoom, has called on people to go to The Hague to protest at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tastan was traveling on one of the boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla , an international aid flotilla for Gaza. His boat was intercepted by Israeli soldiers, and the Dutchman was arrested . His family is very worried . "We haven't heard from him since Wednesday evening. We have no idea how he is doing."
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging Israeli authorities to "guarantee the safety of all passengers." The ministry is also in contact with Israel to determine if any Dutch nationals have been detained, "so that we can provide them with consular assistance if desired."
On Thursday at 4:00 PM, a protest will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to demand the release of the Dutch crew members. According to the spokesperson, family members of the crew will also be present.
The family of arrested Flotilla activist Osman Tastan (62) from Steenbergen, along with Free Palestine Bergen op Zoom, has called on people to go to The Hague to protest at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The family is deeply concerned about his fate. "We haven't heard from him since Wednesday evening," says his daughter Selin Keskin. "We have no idea how he is doing."
The arrested activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) will be brought to Israel , the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. There, procedures will begin for their deportation to European countries.
The activists want to bring aid to the Gaza Strip, but Israel won't allow it. So far, twenty of the flotilla's 44 vessels have been intercepted in international waters . More than two hundred activists have been arrested.
According to Israel, the activists are safe and in good health
According to the Global Sumud Flotilla organizers, nineteen of the 44-boat Global Sumud Flotilla have been stopped by the Israeli army . More than two hundred people have been arrested .
According to the tracker, 25 ships are still en route to Gaza. Al Jazeera reports that the nearest ships are still about 60 kilometers from the Palestinian territory.
The crew of the Mohammad Bhar are calling on the Dutch government to demand their release, according to a statement. The statement also states that five of the seven crew members are on hunger strike . "We refuse to accept food from an entity that is starving Palestinians, partly through the illegal blockade we wanted to break."
Five activists from the Dutch delegation sailing with the aid flotilla to Gaza are still at sea , a spokesperson reported. They are three Dutch nationals and two with Dutch residency permits. They are on separate boats .
On Wednesday evening, four members of the Dutch delegation were reportedly arrested by Israel on various boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla . Early Thursday morning, the Dutch boat Mohammad Bhar was also intercepted by Israel.
The spokesperson is certain of three people who were taken Wednesday evening; the fourth remains unclear . "We haven't heard anything since midnight," the spokesperson said. The last image she had of someone from the Dutch delegation was of the crew sitting on the deck with their hands up.
Six people of Dutch nationality and one of French nationality were on board the Mohammad Bhar. They were detained by Israel.
The Dutch branch of the Global Sumud Flotillais in contact with the Dutch embassy and has lawyers ready. There are additional concerns about one of the arrested Dutch activists, who has a Palestinian background. "But for now, we can only wait and hope that the lawyers can assist them as soon as possible."
While Israeli forces intercept activists attempting to deliver aid by sea to the besieged population of Gaza, Israel's assault on the coastal strip continues. At least 73 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombardments after sunrise on Wednesday , Al Jazeera news channel reports, citing medical sources. Most of the casualties occurred in Gaza City.
Dozens of people were killed when two rockets struck a school converted into a shelter for displaced people east of Gaza City. Inside the city itself, at least seven people were killed in an attack on a house in the Daraj neighborhood, according to the Civil Defense.
The Dutch vessel Mohammad Bhar, part of the relief flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza , has been intercepted by the Israeli army. The six Dutch crew members have been arrested, a spokeswoman for the organization said.
According to the spokesperson, the Dutchmen dropped their mobile phones in the sea because they didn't want them to fall into the hands of the Israeli army. It's unclear where the activists are being taken.
"A large army boat has been spotted in the area. Participants are calling it the prison boat because they suspect everyone is being held there initially." Nearly five hundred people are participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla.
It was already announced Wednesday evening that at least two Dutch nationals had been arrested on other boats belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla . On Thursday morning, several Dutch activists were still on boats bound for Gaza.
About thirty ships from the flotilla attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip have evaded the Israeli navy and are continuing their journey toward Gaza, the Global Sumud Flotilla reported on social media.
The activist group writes that the boats "are still moving vigorously towards Gaza, only 46 nautical miles (85 kilometers) away, despite the continued aggression of the Israeli occupation navy." One of the boats is the Mohammed Bhar, sailing under the Dutch flag.
According to tracking data from the flotilla, Israel had intercepted or stopped a total of thirteen boats in its controlled international waters as of Thursday morning. According to flotilla spokesman Saif Abukeshek, 201 people from 37 countries were on board these boats, all of whom were arrested. One of them is Greta Thunberg of Sweden.
One of the Dutch crew members of the Global Sumud Flotilla announced on Instagram that she will go on hunger strike if she is detained in Israel. Roos Ykema shared a video of three other activists announcing a hunger strike , writing: " I'm joining them. I won't accept food from Israel."
The three activists in the video are passengers on the Dutch boat Mohammed Bhar. Their nationalities are unclear. " I want to say that if we are intercepted and illegally detained in Israel, the three of us will go on a hunger strike," says one of them. " It's a symbolic resistance; we refuse to accept food from an entity that is starving Palestinians."
The Dutch delegation consists of sixteen people . At least two of them were taken by the Israeli army when their ship was intercepted, a spokeswoman reported Wednesday evening. She added that the organization is in contact with the Dutch embassy.
The activist flotilla trying to reach Gaza has accused the Israeli navy of "aggressive" tactics in stopping the ships. " The ship Florida was deliberately rammed at sea. Yulara, Meteque and other ships were targeted with water cannons ," the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement on social media.
The statement condemned the actions as "illegal attacks" on unarmed humanitarian vessels and a war crime. Israel had called on the flotilla of dozens of vessels to change course and later confirmed that it had "safely" stopped several ships. The Foreign Ministry said that those on board were being brought to the Israeli mainland.
According to Hamas, the interception of the flotilla constitutes a "crime of piracy and maritime terrorism against civilians ." The organization condemns the interception "in international waters, as well as the arrest of militants and journalists" aboard the vessels.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday expelled all remaining Israeli diplomats in the country over the interception of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza by Israeli forces.
Petro broke off ties with Israel last year, but four diplomats remained stationed in the country, a Colombian source said.
Petro said two Colombian women were being held by Israel in "international waters" and called for their "immediate release."
Turkey has strongly condemned the Israeli interception of a flotilla carrying activists . The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described it as an act of terrorism .
"The attack by Israeli forces in international waters on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, is an act of terrorism that constitutes the most serious violation of international law and endangers the lives of innocent civilians," the statement said.
The activists themselves announced on Wednesday that Israel had begun boarding ships. Israel later confirmed that several vessels had been stopped and stated that this had been done safely. Passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port.
At least two Dutch crew members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, bound for Gaza, were taken by the Israeli army when their ship was intercepted. According to a spokeswoman for the Dutch activists, Israel was in the process of boarding another ship with a Dutchman on board around 10:30 p.m.
According to the spokeswoman, the detained passengers will be taken to the port city of Ashdod . She says the organization is in contact with the Dutch embassy . "We hope the embassy can put pressure on the Israeli government. We have also instructed the ambassador to ensure that everyone, without exception, is treated in accordance with human rights."
Contact has also been established with Palestinian lawyers in Israel who will assist the activists. As soon as possible, they will visit the passengers in prison, the spokeswoman said.
The Dutch delegation consists of sixteen people . On September 17, the Dutch boat Mohammed Bhar joined the flotilla carrying aid to Gaza. This boat has not yet been intercepted.
Israel reports that several Gaza flotilla vessels carrying activists have been "safely detained." The Foreign Ministry writes on X that those on board are being transferred to an Israeli port.
" Greta and her friends are safe and sound," the ministry wrote, referring to Greta Thunberg. The ministry shared a video that appears to show the well-known activist sitting on the deck of a ship.
The Gaza flotilla consists of dozens of ships carrying politicians and activists, among others. They aim to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, where an Israeli invasion has led to a humanitarian crisis.
It is unclear how many vessels were stopped in total . Israel had ordered the flotilla to change course and offered to deliver the aid to Gaza via an alternative route. The crew were accused of prioritizing provocation over providing aid.
The Global Sumud Flotilla , which is sailing to Gaza with activists, has called for protests to show solidarity after the Israeli interception . "Take to the streets: blockade embassies, parliaments, and companies complicit in facilitating the genocide," a message on X reads. "The time to respond is now."
The appeal follows reports that Israel has begun blocking dozens of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. These include vessels with Dutch nationals on board. Israel itself reports that several vessels have been safely stopped.
Israeli troops have now intercepted six boats from the Gaza flotilla . A total of 42 are underway. The entire operation will therefore take several hours.
The larger ones will be treated first , with the smaller ones following later. The activists will then be sent back to their countries of origin.
According to Israeli authorities, the passengers will be transferred to a port in Israel. "Greta and her friends are safe and in good health," they said.
