ISTANBUL

South Korea urged Israel on Wednesday to swiftly release a South Korean activist detained alongside other activists from the Freedom Flotilla, which was attacked in international waters by Israeli forces while sailing to Gaza to provide humanitarian aid.

The Israeli Navy attacked ships of the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)’s Thousand Madleens to Gaza early Wednesday in international waters, roughly 120 nautical miles from the enclave.

"Through our embassy in Israel, we are continuously requesting that our citizen be released as soon as possible following a swift and fair procedure," a Seoul ministry official said, according to the Yonhap News.

The South Korean government and its embassy in Israel have been monitoring the movements of the ship carrying detained South Korean national Kim Ah-hyun, the official said, adding that authorities have also been maintaining close communication with Israeli authorities and urging them to ensure Kim’s safety.

The latest convoy set sail after Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which were on the way to Gaza to challenge the Israeli blockade, and detained more than 450 activists on board. Most of them have been deported.

Israel, as the occupying power, has also previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported the activists on board.

It has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable. Negotiations to end the war, according to a 20-point plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump, are underway in Egypt.