GENEVA

Irene Montero, a Spanish lawmaker from the left-wing party Podemos, on Wednesday accused Israel of committing "war crimes" after its navy attacked a new aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

"Today, Israel hijacked the ships of the new flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. This is another war crime and a violation of international law by the genocidaires that Europe allows by becoming an accomplice to these crimes." Montero wrote on the US social media company X.

She added: “We know what Israel is capable of. Everyone, beware!”

The Israeli navy attacked ships of the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Thousand Madleens to Gaza early Wednesday in international waters, roughly 120 nautical miles (138 miles) from the enclave.

The convoy set sail after Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week that were part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, and detained over 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 activists on board.​​​​​​​

It has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years and 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 attacks have killed more than 67,000 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.