ISTANBUL 

Arab countries on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s assault on an aid flotilla sailing to the Gaza Strip as a “flagrant violation of international law.”

Oman’s Foreign Ministry called the Israeli attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla “another violation of all international and humanitarian laws.”

A ministry statement warned that the continuation of “such inhumane acts, at a time when international calls are rising to end the famine in Gaza, exposes a systematic policy of using starvation as a weapon of war.”

Jordan also denounced the attack as “a blatant violation of international law, a threat to freedom of navigation and an endangerment of civilian lives.”

The Foreign Ministry said that it was closely monitoring the situation of Jordanian citizens aboard the flotilla and held Israel responsible for their safety.

Qatar likewise condemned the assault, labeling it “a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to maritime security.”

In a statement, Qatari Foreign Ministry called for the launch of an urgent investigation into the attack and demanded that “those responsible be held accountable.”

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry decried the Israeli attack as “a violation of international law and norms, including Convention on the Law of the Sea, other humanitarian principles, and the human rights of the participants on board.”

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya told the state news agency KUNA that his ministry closely monitoring the situation of Kuwait nationals detained from aboard the flotilla. He said that his ministry is exerting “all possible efforts to ensure the safety of the citizens and is working for their immediate release.”  

Israeli responsibility

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry also said it is closely following the situation of Bahraini citizens detained by Israeli forces aboard the convoy to secure their release as soon as possible.

The Tripoli-based Libyan government held Israeli authorities fully responsible for the safety of a number of Libyan citizens who were aboard the flotilla.

“We are closely following the detention of several of our citizens aboard the Omar al-Mukhtar vessel, which was heading to the Gaza Strip to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to our besieged people in the enclave,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli naval forces attacked the flotilla as it approached Gaza’s coast late Wednesday, and detained at least 443 activists on board, organizers said.

The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) confirmed that 22 ships have been attacked and seized by Israeli forces, and 19 believed to have been attacked, but it was not yet documented.

Of the four vessels still remaining, two support ships turned back, while the vessel Marinet continued sailing toward Gaza but was still far away after a late arrival due to technical malfunctions, it added.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that around 50 ships sailed together toward Gaza, carrying hundreds of civilian supporters.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million, 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 bombardment has killed more than 66,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.