Bolivarian Alliance condemns Israeli attack on Gaza aid flotilla as ‘state terrorism, modern piracy’

The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), a political, economic and social integration platform for Latin American and Caribbean countries, released a statement Thursday condemning the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, calling the assault an act of "state terrorism, modern piracy and a flagrant violation of International Law."

“The Zionist regime has once again showcased its criminal nature,” the alliance said in the statement, adding the attack is a “systematic continuation of a policy of extermination and occupation that has been bleeding Palestine dry for more than seven decades.”

The ALBA-TCP denounced Israel for using “harassment tactics,” water cannons and drones to attack and detain the “crew of a civilian and peaceful expedition whose sole purpose was to break the genocidal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and bring humanitarian aid to a people suffocated by hunger, disease and military siege.”

The Latin American and Caribbean alliance urged the international community to condemn the aggression and demand the immediate release of the activists, warning that inaction “in the face of these savage acts” would erode the credibility of global institutions.

It reaffirmed its “unwavering solidarity” with the Palestinian people, the victims of the “inhumane siege” and the flotilla members who risked their lives to carry out this “worthy endeavor.”

Israeli naval forces attacked the international aid flotilla bound for the besieged Gaza Strip and detained more than 450 activists on board, its organizers said Thursday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said on the US social media platform Instagram that 42 boats were illegally intercepted by Israeli forces.

According to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG), the vessel Marinette continues sailing toward Gaza but is still far away after a late arrival due to technical malfunctions.

The flotilla confirmed that more than 450 activists from 47 countries were transferred to Ashdod Port in southern Israel.

The activists on board the ships attacked by Israel were of various nationalities, including Spaniards, Italians, Brazilians, Turks, Greeks, Americans, Germans, Swedes, and British and French citizens.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the detained activists were on their way to Ashdod Port, from where they would be deported to Europe.

The ministry said one vessel remains at distance, vowing to prevent it from approaching the area.

Israel, as the occupying power, has previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo and deported activists on board.

The Sumud Flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that around 50 ships sailed together toward Gaza, carrying hundreds of civilian supporters.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years and further tightened the siege in March, when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 66,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.