The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has located 65 Spanish activists who were participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla heading for Gaza, including three Mallorcans and two Menorcans, and, according to the organisers of the initiative, at least 40 of them have already been detained. The residents of Mallorca who embarked on the humanitarian mission to aid Gaza are Alejandra Martínez, Reyes Rigo and Lucía Muñoz, a councillor for Palma City Council, while the Menorcans are Lluís de Moner and Santi Oliver.
This morning, the organisers denounced the ‘lack of information’ about the whereabouts of 443 participants in the humanitarian mission, which was intercepted in international waters by the Israeli Navy as it approached the Gaza Strip. The flotilla’s legal team has confirmed that among those detained is the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau.
Sailing with her to Gaza were the president of the CUP parliamentary group in the Catalan Parliament, Pilar Castillejo, and the ERC councillor in Barcelona, Jordi Coronas. Also on board the ships participating in the flotilla were Más Madrid regional deputy Jimena González, three members of Podemos, Lucía Muñoz, lawyer Alejandra Martínez and the party’s anti-racism secretary, Serigne Mbayè, and four members of Izquierda Unida.
Among those arrested by the Israeli authorities are two Galicians, activist and lawyer Sandra Garrido and the skipper of the ship Meteque, as confirmed on Thursday by the co-spokesperson in Galicia for the Global Movement to Gaza, Ánxela Gippini, and Welsh activist Bianca Milacic, who lives in Gran Canaria. More than forty ships and 500 volunteers of different nationalities participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla.
In addition to the Spaniards, among those detained confirmed by the organisers are 35 Italians, 32 Turks, 21 Malaysians, 25 Tunisians, 12 Brazilians, 31 French and 20 Americans, as well as participants from the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Colombia, among other nationalities. Israel's interception in international waters of civilian aid vessels bound for Gaza widens its unlawful blockade of the strip, the U.N. rights office said on Thursday.
“As the occupying power, Israel must ensure food and medical supplies for the population to the fullest extent of the means available, or to agree to and facilitate impartial humanitarian relief schemes, delivered rapidly and without hindrance,” spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in an email to Reuters. The flotilla, which set sail in late August, is transporting medicine and food to Gaza and consists of more than 40 civilian vessels with parliamentarians, lawyers and activists.
It was not clear how much aid it was carrying but it represented the highest-profile symbol of opposition to Israel's blockade of Gaza. Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt. The flotilla's progress across the Mediterranean Sea garnered international attention undefined as nations including Turkey, Spain and Italy sent boats or drones in case their nationals required assistance, even as it triggered repeated warnings from Israel to turn back. Israel's interception of the flotilla sparked protests in Italy and Colombia, while protests were also called in Greece, Ireland and Turkey. Italian unions called a general strike for Friday.