Caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof says he understands why Israel detained those on board the aid flotilla bound for Gaza. "You're running a risk, and everyone knows that. It's a designated travel zone," Schoof said before a summit with European leaders. He will not be calling on Israel to release the Dutch crew members sooner. Follow all developments in the Middle East in our live blog.
The activist flotilla trying to reach Gaza accuses the Israeli navy of "aggressive" tactics in stopping the ships.
Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip continues unabated. At least 73 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombardments on Wednesday.
Several government leaders have responded to Israel's blocking of the Global Sumud Flotilla . The flotilla, carrying activists from over forty countries, is sailing towards Gaza with aid supplies, but most of the boats have been stopped.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasized that Israel must respect international law and treaties. According to Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the flotilla poses no threat and the activists only want to provide assistance and draw attention to the situation. He said that stopping the activists in international waters would be a violation of international law.
Turkey previously called the flotilla's interception a " terrorist act." South African President Ramaphosa called on Israel to release detained activists, including Nelson Mandela 's grandson , Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela.
Spain summoned the highest Israeli representative to Madrid. Colombia expelled the consular delegation that was still present.
Caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof said he understood why Israel arrested the activists.
Dutch university hospitals will be able to admit " dozens " of sick or injured children from the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks, Hans van Goudoever, representing the university medical centers, said Thursday.
He said there is " a lot of capacity " and that all hospitals are willing to help. This will certainly not be at the expense of the treatment of Dutch patients , emphasized Van Goudoever, who chairs the board of directors of the University Medical Center Amsterdam (UMC Amsterdam).
Most parties in the House of Representatives responded positively to the caretaker cabinet's decision.
A spokesperson for the Dutch delegation reports that one Dutch national is believed to be on his way to Gaza on a Global Sumud Flotilla boat . It is believed to be Meryem Belhaj, who is sailing on the Mikeno. That boat is very close to Gaza but has been stationary for some time . The other fifteen Dutch nationals on board have likely been detained by Israel.
The spokesperson has been unable to contact the crew of the Mikeno. Their situation is unclear. She says it's a small boat, carrying a total of about eight people . They are carrying relief supplies such as baby formula and pasta for people in Gaza.
Specialized hospitals , such as the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and the Princess Máxima Center , are ready to receive and treat seriously ill children from Gaza . "Delay carries significant risks." Read the full story here .
The Turkish Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation after Turkish citizens who were on board vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla were arrested .
According to Turkish authorities, the investigation concerns "24 Turkish citizens who were arrested following the attack by elements of the Israeli Navy in international waters on the Global Sumud flotilla en route to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid."
The Justice Department invokes the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and says it is investigating "crimes of deprivation of liberty, embezzlement or seizure of means of transport, serious plunder, material damage and torture."
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, thirteen ships were inspected.
The Turkish media, in turn, write that a total of thirty Turkish citizens have been arrested and taken away by Israeli security forces and will be deported to Europe.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday evening condemned Israel's "terrorist act" after the interception of several boats from the flotilla and said it hoped that "the attack will not jeopardize efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza."
The humanitarian flotilla plans to continue its journey to Gaza, despite the interception of several vessels. The Global Sumud Flotilla website states that 21 boats have already been confirmed intercepted. Nineteen others are suspected to have been intercepted, and four boats are reportedly still underway.
Despite weeks of urgent appeals from Parliament and aid organizations , the cabinet has only now decided to bring several children from Gaza who require complex, highly specialized medical care to the Netherlands. "We had to come to this conclusion ourselves . We always believed it was possible in the region," Schoof said before the meeting with European leaders began.
According to Schoof, "intensive discussions have been held with various experts and the countries in recent days . And that is why we have drawn this conclusion for now."
Without specifying a specific number , it only concerns a few children, Schoof said. "These are truly very complex, very complicated cases ."
The cabinet hopes, and is committed to, that healthcare in the region will be in order, the Prime Minister said.
Most parties in the House of Representatives responded positively to the caretaker government's decision to bring a "very limited" number of children from Gaza to the Netherlands for treatment. "An important step, and a chance for these children to survive ," said Sarah Dobbe (SP), who submitted motions several times to bring these children back.
Even parties that previously opposed the decision support the decision. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has consistently supported the government's position that treatment in the region is most effective and efficient. But VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz has now indicated his support for the government's line.
The leader of the largest party in Parliament is negative. "Why don't they go to wealthy Saudi Arabia, which has the most modern hospitals in the region?" tweeted Geert Wilders of the PVV in response to the cabinet's decision.
It's a start , according to several parties. "This is a good first step in helping seriously ill children ," said Kati Piri (GroenLinks-PvdA).
The Israeli navy has intercepted 40 ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) , according to The Times of Israel news website. The activists' own tracker also shows that almost all of the flotilla's ships were definitely or probably intercepted before reaching the Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel reports that hundreds of activists have been arrested. The operation reportedly proceeded without incident. However, four ships remain stuck with various "technical problems." The people aboard those ships have yet to be arrested.
According to GSF, there were 500 people on board the flotilla. They included activists, as well as lawyers and parliamentarians from several countries.
Israel stopped ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip in international waters.
Caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof says he understands why Israel detained those on board the aid flotilla bound for Gaza. "You're running a risk, and everyone knows that. It's a red zone for travel ," Schoof said before a summit with European leaders.
Schoof calls it "particularly unwise that they accepted this trip. But anyway, they did go there, for their own reasons. We provide consular assistance where necessary," the prime minister said.
He won't be calling on Israel to release the Dutch passengers sooner. "We're mainly calling for this to be handled normally. I think they'll be back on Dutch soil fairly quickly," the prime minister expects.
The Dutch vessel Mohammad Bhar , part of the relief flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza, has been intercepted by the Israeli army. Six Dutch passengers, including Osman Tastan (pictured), and one French national were detained, a spokeswoman for the organization reported.
According to the spokeswoman, the Dutch nationals 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 they are being taken. " A large army boat has been spotted in the area. The participants refer to it among themselves as the prison boat, because they suspect everyone is initially being held there." 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.
Two people were killed in an Israeli attack on southern Lebanon on Thursday , the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported.
According to the ministry, a car was shot at on the road between Jarmak and Khardali . Besides the two dead, another person was injured . The attack took place approximately 10 kilometers from the border with Israel.
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 news organization 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 Flotilla is 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."
