How the world is responding to Israel’s interception of the Gaza flotilla

Global leaders are critcizing Israel’s decision to intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) while it is traveling to Gaza, which has sparked swift criticism from international organizations as protesters demonstrate in cities all over the world, including Istanbul, Athens, Buenos Aires, Rome, Berlin, and Madrid.

The 500-person flotilla included the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Malaysia, Turkiye, and Colombia, and at least 44 other nations.

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World leaders have responded in a variety of ways, from direct condemnation to requests for Israel to grant consular services to detained citizens.

What responses have been received so far?

Turkiye

The intervention by Israel was described as a “act of terrorism” that violated international law and threatened innocent civilians’ lives, according to Turkiye’s ministry of foreign affairs.

The ministry claimed that Israel’s actions demonstrated that “the fascist and militarist policies pursued by the genocidal Netanyahu government, which has condemned Gaza to famine, are not limited to Palestinians.”

Malaysia

Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister, demanded that Malaysian citizens be released immediately. He stated in a statement on X that it would “take all necessary and legally grounded steps” to hold Israel accountable.

He claimed that Israel had violated the “basic rights of the Palestinian people” and that it had also violated the international community’s conscience.

Colombia

In response to Israel’s actions, President Gustavo Petro announced on X that his administration would expel Israeli diplomats and void Colombia’s free trade agreement.

He urged Colombia to “follow all the necessary steps, including through Israeli courts,” in order to secure the return of its citizens.

Italy

Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister of Italy, reported to local media that Israel had assured him that the flotilla would not engage in “violent actions.”

Following the Unione Sindacale di Base’s strike in September and other protests at Italian ports, Italian unions separately called for a general strike on Friday to show their solidarity with the GSF and Gaza.

Greece

In a joint statement released earlier this week, Greece and Italy both issued a call for Israel to “assure the safety and security of the participants and permit any consular protection measures.”

Ireland

Israel was preventing essential aid from reaching Gaza, according to Irish President Michael D. Higgins. He stated in a statement that “all of us and all of the nations from which the people come are concerned about the safety and protection of those involved in this humanitarian exercise.”

Belgium

In a statement on X, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot urged the Israeli government to uphold international law. He claimed that “ensuring the rights of our compatriots are respected, that their safety is guaranteed, and that they can return home as quickly as possible was his top priority.”

France

The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs demanded that Israel provide access to consular services for the French citizens participating in the flotilla and “allow them to return to France without undue delay.”

United States

20 Democratic legislators urged the White House to take immediate action to protect the flotilla earlier this week.

Nations Unified

The UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, said the Israelis’ actions against the flotilla demonstrated the West’s indolence toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, despite the UN itself having yet to respond to the activists’ arrests.

My thoughts are with the people of Gaza, trapped in Israel’s killing fields, Albanese wrote on X.