More than 100 pro-Palestinian activists who were on an aid ship bound for Gaza were sent to the Greek island of Crete on Friday after Israeli forces stopped their flotilla in international waters near Greece.

The activists were part of a second flotilla organized by international activists supporting Palestine. Their purpose was to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza and defy the Israeli blockade.

The ships left the port of Barcelona in Spain on April 12.

On Friday, an Israeli army ship transferred 168 people from these ships to Greek ships.

They were then taken ashore in Crete, where buses and an ambulance awaited them. This was confirmed by the organizers of this mission and by the images of the Reuters agency.

According to the organizers of the fleet, two activists remained in the hands of the Israeli authorities.
A source, who asked to remain anonymous, said 22 ships had been detained by Israel, while another 47 continue to sail south of Crete and plan to dock there before continuing to Gaza.

Each ship is carrying about a ton of food, medical equipment and other aid.
Organizers said the 22 ships were seized by Israel late Wednesday in international waters off Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, hundreds of miles from Gaza.

Israel’s foreign ministry called the organizers “professional provocateurs,” while the foreign ministries of Germany and Italy said they were following the situation with deep concern.

In a statement Thursday, the U.S. State Department warned that there could be consequences for those who support the float, branding it pro-Hamas.

Pro-Palestinian activists dispute this stance, saying their support for Palestinian rights is being unfairly confused with support for Hamas.

Last October, the Israeli military stopped a previous float organized by the same group, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.

Meanwhile, Palestinians and international aid organizations say supplies reaching Gaza remain insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October that provided for more aid.

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Source: prizrenpost