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‘This Is Piracy’: Israel Condemned for Seizure of Gaza-Bound Flotilla Near Greece

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Article by republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Vessels taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla 2026 Spring Mission to Gaza depart from the marina in Augusta, on the island of Sicily, Italy, on April 26, 2026. (Photo by Baris Seckin/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“How on Earth,” asked the UN’s top Palestine expert, “is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe?”

Palestine defenders on Thursday condemned Israeli forces’ raid of the latest Global Sumud Flotilla—which was sailing off the Greek coast while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza—and the arrest of more than 200 of its participants, with some prominent critics calling the seizure an act of piracy.

Greenpeace International—whose MY Arctic Sunrise is the flotilla’s most prominent ship—said that the maritime convoy’s 58 vessels were “boarded and harassed by Israeli forces in international waters 45 nautical miles west of the Greek island Kythira and 600 nautical miles from Gaza.”

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Flotilla organizers said on X: “Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees. The boat communications are being jammed and an SOS was issued.”

The organizers said 211 flotilla participants were seized by Israeli forces. Flotilla activist Yasmine Scola said members were “kidnapped.”

Global Sumud France spokesperson Helene Coron said that 10 French nationals, including communist Paris City Council Member Raphaelle Primet, were seized.

“We don’t have the information for the other nationalities, but the boats were mixed in terms of nationality, so there were crew members from all 48 delegations,” Coron added.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that “approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats… are now making their way peacefully to Israel.”

Responding to Israel’s interception, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said on social media that his country’s government “is either complicit or incapable of defending our seas from Israel.”

“So much for freedom of navigation and international law,” he added.

Independent British Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn said of the flotilla members: “They were not intercepted. They were abducted in international waters. This is piracy—and is a flagrant violation of international law.”

Another British lawmaker, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, wrote on X that “last night, Israel’s navy committed an act of armed piracy in international waters, threatening unarmed civilians aboard.”

“Our government must condemn this attack, extend diplomatic protection to British participants, and work to ensure safe passage,” she added.

The migrant search and rescue group SOS Mediterranee France said on X that “attacking or threatening” Global Sumud Flotilla vessels “in international waters constitutes a violation of maritime law.”

“Furthermore, the Geneva Conventions are clear: Any person engaged in a humanitarian mission must be protected. Solidarity is not a crime, Preventing aid, however, is,” the group added.

In the United States, Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Nihad Awad said in a statement that “Congress must demand that the Israeli apartheid government immediately release the American citizens and other humanitarian activists it kidnapped in international waters in a blatant violation of international law.”

“Our nation would not tolerate, much less fund, the kidnapping of American citizens in international waters off the coast of Greece by any other state,” Awad added. “It is long past time for the out-of-control Netanyahu regime to face consequences of its crimes, including American citizens.”

The United States supports Israel with tens of billions of dollars in armed aid, and diplomatic cover including repeated vetoes of United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolutions for Gaza.

Last year, dozens of boats carrying hundreds of activists from over 40 nations took part in the last Global Sumud Flotilla—sumud means “perseverance” in Arabic—as it attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid including food, medicines, and baby formula to starving Gazans amid a growing famine.

Israeli forces intercepted and seized the flotilla vessels in international waters in early October, arresting all aboard the boats and temporarily jailing them in Israel.

In 2010, Israeli forces raided one of the first convoys carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea. The attackers killed nine volunteers aboard the MV Mavi Marmara, including Turkish-American teenager Furkan Doğan.

Members of past Gaza flotillas have reported abuse at the hands of their Israeli captors, although they have urged the world to focus not on them, but rather the people of Gaza, who have endured nearly 31 months of genocidal war and siege.

More than 250,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded by Israeli forces since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, including thousands who are still missing and presumed dead and buried beneath rubble. Most victims are civilians. Around 2 million other Gazans have been forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened.

Israel—whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza—is facing an ongoing genocide case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Israeli government continues to blockade Gaza by land and sea, strictly limiting the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged coastal strip.

“We renew our call on world leaders to take concrete and immediate action in the face of the genocide being inflicted by Israel on the people of Gaza,” Pujarini Sen, project lead aboard the Arctic Sunrise, said Thursday. “The international community’s ongoing failure to enforce international law leaves it culpable for Israel’s actions.”

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Continue Reading‘This Is Piracy’: Israel Condemned for Seizure of Gaza-Bound Flotilla Near Greece

Europe ‘strongly condemn’ attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Nabatieh, Lebanon on November 15, 2025. [Ramiz Dallah – Anadolu Agency]

A group of European nations as well as the EU on Tuesday strongly condemned all recent attacks on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), calling on Israel to avoid widening the conflict, including through a ground operation, Anadolu reports.

In a joint statement, foreign ministers of Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, the UK, the Greek Cypriot administration and the EU foreign policy chief reaffirmed that Lebanon’s territorial integrity must be respected.

Condemning Hezbollah attacks, which they called “in support of Iran against Israel,” the foreign ministers said these attacks “must cease immediately.”

“We call on all parties to immediately de-escalate and to revert to the cessation of hostilities agreement and UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),” said the statement.

READ: Netanyahu orders expansion of Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon

It also called for the protection of the civilian population, humanitarian personnel, peacekeepers, and civilian infrastructure, including airports, ports and bridges across the country, in line with international humanitarian law.

“We reaffirm our concern regarding the forced displacement of over 1 million people in Lebanon,” said the statement.

The foreign ministers also called on Israel to avoid a further widening of the conflict, including through a ground operation on Lebanese territory.

It added: “We strongly condemn all recent attacks on UNIFIL contingents, which provoked unacceptable casualties among peacekeepers in recent days.”

Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2.

Lebanese authorities said at least 1,247 people have since been killed and 3,690 injured in Israeli attacks.

READ: Israel military issues evacuation warning to six villages in Lebanon’s western Bekaa

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.

Continue ReadingEurope ‘strongly condemn’ attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

Mediterranean dockworkers launch historic international strike

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Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Strike banner in Ancona, reading: “The port that resists wars, rearmament, and fascist laws.” Source: Potere al Popolo Terni/Facebook

On February 6, dockworkers in more than 20 Mediterranean ports went on strike against war, militarization, and port privatization.

Dockworkers in more than 20 ports across the Mediterranean marked a historic moment today as they launched an international day of strike and protest against war and rearmament. Dockers also protested the privatization and militarization of port infrastructure.

Unionists involved in preparing the action described it as the result of a long and complex process, built on dockworkers’ solidarity with Palestine and their struggles for dignified working conditions at home.

The impact of the strike was felt even before it fully unfolded on February 6, as reports emerged of ships – vessels that regularly transport military cargo to Israel – disrupting their itineraries due to the actions.

“Ports are places of sweat, not blood”

Demonstrations began in the morning in the Greek ports of Piraeus and Elefsina, in Türkiye’s Mersin, and in Bilbao and Pasaia in the Basque Country. The trade union Liman-İş Sendikası rallied hundreds of its members to send a message against genocide and in solidarity with Palestine, echoing similar dispatches by their comrades from LAB in the Basque Country.

In Greece, dockworkers highlighted the contradiction between massive European investments in rearmament and the imposition of austerity on public services and infrastructure, which is leading to increasingly unsafe working conditions. “We won’t accept work without rights,” said Damianos Voudigaris of the Greek union ENEDEP later in the day. “Development should mean going home alive. Ports are places of work, not war. They are places of sweat, not blood.”

Demonstration during the strike in Piraeus Port. Source: PAME International

Some of the largest mobilizations of the day took place in Italy. Strikes were organized in Ancona, Bari, Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Crotone, Genoa, Livorno, Palermo, Ravenna, Salerno, and Trieste, involving not only dockworkers and port employees but also students and members of the public. The map of the strikes once again underscored the momentum built by Italy’s labor movement over the past year, including three general strikes for Palestine – mobilizations that have drawn inspiration from some of the dockers collectives’ anti-war activism.

The trade union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) reported from all striking ports, with union representatives addressing assemblies prominently displaying Palestinian and Cuban flags. Workers stressed that Europe’s labor movement must find an internationalist orientation in order to block the anti-worker agenda of the European Union and right-wing governments. Governments including that of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which, as USB activists noted during live broadcasts, was rattled by the determination shown by workers after years of stagnation. According to trade unionists, this panic has translated into a new wave of repression, including measures targeting union members involved in Palestine solidarity actions. USB, however, insisted that resistance to Meloni’s policies would only intensify in the coming weeks.

“Today it’s the ports, tomorrow it will be the entire logistics sector”

While uniting around shared demands – to prevent the militarization of ports, reject rearmament, and stop a war economy from stifling all other priorities – striking workers also raised local concerns. Dockworkers in Trieste warned against port privatization. Elsewhere, including in Bari and Ravenna, workers and students described how port infrastructure was being used, sometimes covertly, to transport military and dual-use materials to Israel. “Everyone here has had enough of that,” one activist in Ravenna said.

Demonstrations held in Civitavecchia, Livorno, and Ancona on Friday evening were notable, with strikers in Ancona describing the day as “monumental.” In Genoa, as has become customary, turnout was massive. Members of the collective CALP – who had previously vowed that “not one nail” would leave the port if Israel attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza – led the protest. Speaking to media and fellow activists, they stressed that the success of the international strike once again proved that dockworkers keep their promises.

“We promised to block everything – and we blocked everything. We promised a general strike – and we had a general strike. We promised an international strike – and here we are,” they said.

Students in solidarity with dockworkers in Ravenna. Source: Cambiare Rotta Bologna

The international dockworkers’ strike, however, is not the end of the road, workers emphasized. “Today it’s the ports, tomorrow it will be the entire logistics sector, and then it will be all workers,” strikers in Ravenna concluded.

Actions were also reported in the ports of Fos-sur-Mer near Marseille, the German hubs of Bremen and Hamburg, and in Corsica. Dockworkers from Morocco’s Democratic Labor Organization (ODT), who had been involved in preparing the strike throughout the process, were forced to postpone their industrial action due to extreme weather conditions that led to port closures.

Original article by Ana Vračar republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingMediterranean dockworkers launch historic international strike

UN Security Council European nations condemn record illegal Israeli settler violence, citing 260 attacks in October

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Israeli forces and Israeli settlers prevent Palestinian farmers from working on their agricultural fields in the town of Beit Ulla, located west of the city of Hebron, West Bank on November 22, 2025. [Mamoun Wazwaz – Anadolu Agency]

European members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday cited more than 260 illegal Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in a single month, condemning what they described as record levels of violence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Anadolu reports.

Speaking on behalf of the E5 — Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the UK, British Ambassador James Kariuki said the Council would meet to discuss Resolution 2334, which “explicitly condemns settlement activities and calls on Israel to respect its obligations under international law.”

He warned that “the government of Israel continues to implement policies which contravene this resolution and contribute to rising instability in the West Bank,” adding that this “risks undermining the implementation of the 20-point plan for Gaza and the prospects for a two-state solution, as well as long-term peace and security across the region.”

“We strongly condemn the unprecedented rise in settler violence against Palestinian civilians of all faiths and denominations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with 2025 the most violent year on record,” said Kariuki.

READ: Palestinian shot dead by illegal Israeli settler in occupied West Bank

Citing data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), he stated that “there were over 260 attacks on Palestinians and their property in October alone. This is deeply alarming.”

“These attacks terrorize civilians, obstruct peace efforts and threaten the security of Israel itself,” he said, calling on Israel “to abide by its obligations under international law and protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territories.”

The E5 reiterated its “call for the preservation of and respect for the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites.”

“We reiterate our firm opposition to any form of annexation and to the government of Israel’s settlement policies that violate international law,” Kariuki said, stressing that Israel’s decisions to allocate 2.5 billion shekels ($836,527) of funding for illegal settlements, forced evictions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, approval of E1 settlement plan as well as “thousands of new housing units all risk destabilization and undermine the viability of a Two-State Solution.”

Kariuki emphasized the “vital” work of UNRWA. “We are shocked by Israeli authorities entering UNRWA’s compound in East Jerusalem on 8 December without prior authorization,” he said.

He noted the “inviolable” status of UN premises under international law, and demanded that Israel “respect” and “act fully in line with its obligations under international law.”

READ: Israeli police swap UN flag for Israeli flag during raid on UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem

On the “precarious” economic situation in the occupied West Bank, Kariuki said, “The continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, threats to withdraw correspondent banking relationships, and limits on shekel transfers are wholly unjustifiable.”

“These measures risk financial collapse in the West Bank and a fiscal crisis for the Palestinian Authority, weakening its ability to deliver services, reform and assume responsibilities in Gaza as envisaged in Security Council resolution 2803,” he said.

He demanded that Israel “urgently release withheld revenues, remove or significantly increase shekel transfer limits, and confirm a longer-term extension for correspondent banking relationships to avert economic collapse and uphold prospects for peace and stability.”

“We are deeply concerned by the movement restrictions, forced displacement, and the conduct of operations by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, aggravating the humanitarian situation, and call for their immediate end,” he said.

READ: Israeli settlers burn olive trees near Ramallah

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

dizzy: It’s strange and hypocritical that a UK ambassador is calling on Israel to “… respect its obligations under international law.”

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.

Continue ReadingUN Security Council European nations condemn record illegal Israeli settler violence, citing 260 attacks in October