Friday, May 1st 2026
A Greek member of the European Parliament and vice-president of the “Left” group has stated that any involvement of Greece in the detention of the humanitarian flotilla headed for Gaza would be “deeply disturbing”, demanding clarification and accountability.
“If the Greek authorities were aware of or in any way facilitated the detention of the Sumud Global Flotilla, this would constitute a deeply disturbing development that requires immediate clarification and responsibility”, Kostas Arvanitis said in a written statement to Anadolu.
He said that the Greek government “cannot allow actions affecting civilian humanitarian ships to occur in areas under its responsibility without full transparency”.
He stressed that any indication of cooperation or tolerance would raise serious concerns regarding respect for international law, the protection of human life at sea and the institutional credibility of Greece.
Arvanitis said the incident points to what he described as a wider failure both nationally and at the European level.
According to him, a humanitarian flotilla carrying doctors, essential supplies and messages of solidarity for the Palestinians should not have been stopped at sea.
“The fact that citizens feel compelled to act in this way reflects the continued inaction and in some cases the political complicity of European governments. in the face of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” Arvanitis said.
He called for accountability, stressing that the safety and immediate release of those on board must be guaranteed.
Arvanitis also said that any illegal interference with civilian vessels must be fully investigated.
He called on the European Union (EU) to take concrete steps, including a review of relations with Israel, to uphold international law and restore credibility.
Also, the Irish MEP, Barry Andrews, told Anadolu that Israel “is committing illegal acts within the territorial waters of the EU”. He demanded that the activists return to their families “as soon as possible”.
The Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla was attacked on Thursday near the Greek island of Crete, about 600 nautical miles from its destination, the blockade-ravaged Gaza enclave.
The first ships of the flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid, left Barcelona on April 12, while the main fleet left the Italian island of Sicily on April 26, with the aim of defying Israel’s years-long blockade of Gaza.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving its 2.4 million residents to face severe shortages of food and essential supplies.
The Israeli military launched an offensive against Gaza in October. 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000 others and causing widespread destruction throughout the enclave.
We use cookies to improve the experience and display ads (Google AdSense).
By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the use of cookies according to
Privacy Policy
and
Cookies Policy.
You can reject non-necessary cookies by clicking “Reject”.
Source: prizrenpost
Etiketa: Brief
