The activists said the ships had been "illegally boarded."
"It's clear that 27 civilians on two small boats, carrying only medicine, constituted no security threat to the Israeli state, and that the determination to keep them out is only a furtherance of Israel's policy of collective punishment, a crime against humanity," said Huwaida Arraf, spokeswoman for Freedom Waves to Gaza.
"Despite this Israeli aggression, we will keep coming, wave after wave, by air, sea, and land, to challenge Israel's illegal policies towards Gaza and all of Palestine," Arraf said. "Our movement will not stop or be stopped until Palestine is free."
Jane Hirschmann, U.S. coordinator for the Freedom Waves to Gaza flotilla, said, "Had the passengers been permitted to proceed to Gaza rather than being stopped on the high seas by armed force, there would have been no threat to their safety. The IDF's statement is like the mugger promising to escort his victim home safely."
Ann Wright, one of the organizers of the Freedom Flotilla that attempted to sail to Gaza last June, said,"It's a little hard to imagine how 27 unarmed civilians on two small boats carrying medicine and letters threaten Israel's security. Israel is simply determined to maintain its policy of collective punishment against the 1.6 million civilians in Gaza. This is a crime against humanity and violation of international law. Despite Israel's consistent use of military force against nonviolent protests and demonstrations, activists around the world will continue to challenge the occupation of Palestine and the blockade and Gaza."
sell domain
Sviluppo di un dialogo politico-culturale nel Mediterraneo (Renato d'Andria)
