Pakistan, Türkiye, others condemn Israeli assault on Global Sumud Flotilla

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain on Monday condemned Israeli assault on the “Global Sumud Flotilla”, calling the reported incidents a violation of international law and demanding the release of detained activists.

In a joint statement issued from Islamabad, foreign ministers of the above countries said that they “condemn in the strongest terms” what they described as renewed Israeli assaults on the flotilla, a civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The ministers said that they were “gravely concerned” over what they termed repeated Israeli interventions against previous flotillas in international waters, adding that attacks on civilian vessels and the detention of activists amounted to breaches of international humanitarian law and international law.

They expressed concern for the safety of those on board and called for the “immediate release of all detained activists” while urging full respect for their rights and dignity.

The statement said that repeated attacks on peaceful humanitarian missions reflected Israel’s disregard for international law and freedom of navigation.

It called on the international community to ensure protection for civilians and humanitarian operations and to take steps to end impunity and ensure accountability for violations.

The statement was issued in Islamabad on May 19.