Gaza-bound flotilla activist demands release of detained members

Global Sumud Flotilla activist Mikey Cullen on Thursday called for the release of activists detained by the Israeli forces following its attack on the fleet, stressing that the flotilla was heading to Palestine, not Israel.

After “a long night of cat and mouse with the Israeli occupation forces,” Giro Lama, the vessel he was on, managed to reach Greek waters off Crete, Irish activist Cullen said on US social media platform Instagram.

“Israel has no right to detain people in this jurisdiction. Or any, in fact. Because we're not going to Israel, we're going to Palestine,” Cullen said.

He said they were carrying humanitarian aid, including food, in international waters.

The Israeli navy intercepted vessels from the flotilla late Wednesday as they headed toward Gaza to break a longstanding blockade on the enclave.

The group said Israeli forces surrounded the convoy in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, jammed communications, and seized 21 vessels, adding that 17 vessels managed to escape and enter Greek waters following the incident.

The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, aims to break Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor by sea.

The move came hours after Hebrew media reported that Israel was preparing to intercept the flotilla, which includes around 100 boats in total carrying nearly 1,000 activists from several countries.

Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving about 1.5 million Palestinians out of roughly 2.4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war.