Islamabad (GNP) :— President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the interception of a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla by Israeli forces in international waters near Greece, describing it as a deeply troubling development amid an already grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The President expressed concern over the safety of all detained activists and urged that their rights and well-being be fully respected. He emphasised that humanitarian assistance must never be obstructed and called for the immediate facilitation of aid delivery to affected civilian populations in Gaza.
He also urged the international community to play its role in preventing further escalation and in safeguarding the principles of humanitarian access and freedom of navigation.
In their joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Türkiye, Brazil, Jordan, Pakistan, Spain, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Colombia, Maldives, South Africa and Libya said the Flotilla is a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
They said that Israeli attacks against the vessels and the unlawful detention of humanitarian activists in international waters constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
The Ministers called upon the international community to fulfill their moral and legal obligations to uphold international law, protect civilians, and ensure accountability for these violations.
The Global Sumud Flotilla responded in a statement on social media: “Same script, different year. The Israeli navy thinks a radio warning can drown out the cries for justice.”
The flotilla described the interception as a “violent raid in international waters”. In a social media post, the group said that “after smashing engines and destroying navigation arrays, the military retreated – intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm”.
It also said the vessels’ communications had been jammed, hindering them from signalling for help. Asked by Agence France-Presse about the accusations, the Israeli military declined to comment.
