Belgium, France, Spain urge Israel to ensure safety of Gaza-bound flotilla participants

Belgian, French, Spanish and Finnish authorities expressed concern Wednesday and urged Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of those participating in the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla following its interception by Israeli forces.

"France calls on the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of the participants, to guarantee their right to consular protection, and to allow their return to France as soon as possible," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on the US social media company X’s platform.

Barrot said that before their departure, participants had been reminded that travel to the area was strongly discouraged, adding that France maintained regular contact with Israeli authorities to ensure that any possible boarding operation would take place under the “best possible security conditions."

He said teams at the French Consulate General in Tel Aviv were in touch with French nationals on board the flotilla and stood ready to provide consular assistance.

France's "immediate priority" in the region remains achieving a ceasefire, securing the release of all hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas, and ensuring large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to Barrot.

"France encourages flotilla participants to hand over the humanitarian aid they are carrying to humanitarian organizations present in Gaza so that it can be delivered safely," he added.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on X that his "top priority is to ensure the rights of Belgian citizens are respected, their safety guaranteed, and that they can return home as soon as possible without hindrance."

"I urge the Israeli government to respect international law, including maritime law," he wrote, adding that Belgian authorities are already providing consular assistance to those on board.

Finland’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on X that Israel had begun detentions on the flotilla vessels. Finnish authorities are in contact with Israeli officials to assist their nationals in line with the Consular Services Act and expect Israel to ensure the safety of those detained.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain is closely monitoring the situation of "a peaceful and humanitarian flotilla."

He noted that the ministry, Spain's embassy in Israel and regional consulates are fully mobilized to provide diplomatic and consular support to Spanish citizens on board.

"Their physical integrity and rights must be respected," he wrote on X.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said the interception occurred as Israeli warships blocked communications and moved to halt the convoy. The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) confirmed that Israeli forces stormed the ships Alma and Sirius.

Several activists posted videos on social media confirming that Israeli naval boats approached the convoy and ordered them to change course.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August and was expected to reach Gaza’s coast Thursday morning under normal circumstances.

This marked the first time in years that around 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries to the enclave of 2.4 million Palestinians, which has been under an Israeli blockade for roughly 18 years.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.