Ankara: Turkey affirmed that Tel Aviv’s attack on the Madeleine aid ship, which was attempting to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip, proves once again that Israel is a “terrorist state.”
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Turkish Foreign Ministry emphasized in a statement that the Israeli forces’ interception of the Madeleine ship while it was in international waters, after setting sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza with Turkish and other nationalities on board, is a flagrant violation of international law.
The statement declared: “This heinous attack by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security, proves once again that Israel is a terrorist state.” It affirmed the international community’s continued justified response to Israel’s policies, which use starvation as a weapon in Gaza and prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid.
It further indicated that Israel’s aggressive behavior and disregard for the law will not silence the voices defending humanitarian values. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced early Monday morning that the Israeli military had kidnapped the international activists aboard the Madeleine, a ship en route to Gaza in an attempt to break the years-long blockade on the Strip.
The coalition stated via Telegram: “The Israeli military kidnapped the volunteers aboard the Madeleine, and all contact with the boat was lost from the moment of the raid.” In the same context, the newspaper Israel Hayom reported that the Israeli military had arrested the 12 activists aboard the Madeleine, paving the way for their deportation.
The raid occurred hours after Israeli warnings to prevent the ship from reaching the shores of the Gaza Strip, considering it an “illegal” attempt to break the naval blockade, according to a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Sunday that he had instructed the military to act to prevent the ship from reaching the Gaza Strip.
It is noteworthy that 12 individuals were on board the Madeleine, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. Another ship, the “Conscience,” belonging to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, was attacked by an Israeli drone on the second of last month while attempting to sail to Gaza, causing damage.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop it. Official statistics indicate that this has resulted in more than 181,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, with thousands missing, in addition to widespread destruction and famine in the Gaza Strip.