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A statement from the Global Sumud Flotilla said that activists were assaulted with water cannons, doused with skunk water, and had their communications systematically jammed before being boarded by Israeli forces.
By IHSAAN HAFFEJEE
Hundreds of people protested outside the United States consulate in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Friday afternoon. A protest also took place outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. There were also protests in Cape Town and Durban.
The protests were against the Israeli interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla and the detention of the activists on board. The flotilla consisted of over 40 vessels. All of them were stopped by the Israeli navy from reaching Gaza to deliver aid.
Protesters called for the release of the detained flotilla activists and the return of the confiscated boats, as well as an end to the war in Gaza.
Six South Africans formed part of the delegation of over 400 activists who attempted to sail to Gaza.
According to Sunny Morgan, Global Sumud Flotilla’s South African delegation spokesperson, all six South African citizens are now in Israeli custody. “We are calling on our government to urgently facilitate their release. The idea that Israel will adhere to any sort of international law and respect norms is very remote,” said Morgan.
He indicated that the latest information flotilla organisers had was that activists were transferred to the Ktzi’ot Prison in the Negev desert and are refusing voluntary deportation. “We are hoping that because it is such a large number of activists together that there will be safety in numbers, but you can never be sure when dealing with a genocidal regime,” said Morgan. (In 2010 Israeli forces stormed a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, in international waters as it was sailing to Gaza, and killed ten people onboard.)
Israel maintains a land and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian fishermen have often been shot and killed by Israeli forces in Gaza’s waters since 7 October.
A statement from the Global Sumud Flotilla said that activists were assaulted with water cannons, doused with skunk water, and had their communications systematically jammed before being boarded by Israeli forces.
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They also claim that lawyers, who will represent the flotilla participants before Israeli authorities, have been given minimal updates.
Israel’s actions have been widely condemned by governments around the world, many of which had citizens on board the flotilla. “The interception of the flotilla in international waters is contrary to international law and violates the sovereignty of every nation whose flag was flown on the dozens of vessels in the flotilla. This action also violates an International Court of Justice injunction that humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow unimpeded,” South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement.
Protesters in Johannesburg and Pretoria said their immediate priority was to help secure the release of the activists, but were also calling for the government to permanently shut down the Israeli embassy and expel all Israeli diplomats from the country.
“This interception is not just about blocking aid; it is a calculated act of intimidation intended to punish and silence critics of Israel’s genocide and its unlawful blockade on Gaza. The incitement and threats that preceded it are also a shameless attempt to demonise peaceful solidarity initiatives seeking to end Israel’s genocide and the cruel blockade it has imposed on Gaza since 2007,” read a statement issued by Amnesty International.
Al Jazeera quotes Israel’s Foreign Ministry as saying four Italian citizens have already been deported and they are preparing the deport the remaining detainees.
“Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as possible,” the ministry said in a post on X. The ministry said the activists are all “safe and in good health”.
This article was first published by GroundUp.
