Desk Report:
Israel seizes last Gaza-bound Sumud flotilla vessel
Israeli forces have seized the only aid ship carrying aid to the besieged Gaza Strip in the Mediterranean Sea, the Marinet. The Global Sumud Flotilla was seen on live broadcast on Friday morning as Israeli forces forcibly boarded the ship.
The Polish-flagged ship, the Marinet, was carrying a crew of six, Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera reported. It was the last operational ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which once consisted of 44 ships.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is an organization that has been trying to break Israel’s illegal naval blockade and deliver food and relief to Gaza. The organization said that the Israeli navy seized the Marinet, the last ship heading towards the Palestinian coast, at 10:29 a.m. local time.
The live broadcast from the ship showed Israeli commandos approaching the Marinette in a small boat and then boarding it. The broadcast was then cut off. The flotilla organizers said that the Marinette was 42.5 nautical miles from Gaza when it was seized. That is, it was still in international waters.
The organization wrote on social media, “Marinette was the last vessel of the Global Relief Flotilla not to be seized. It was seized at 10:29 a.m. local time. It was then 42.5 nautical miles from Gaza. In the last 38 hours, the Israeli occupation navy has illegally seized all of our vessels. Each vessel was carrying relief supplies…”
