Palestinian Authority Deplores Israel's Clamp-Down on Sea Humanitarian Mission

Ramallah, 05 Muharram 1438/06 October 2016 (MINA) – The Palestinian Authority on Thursday condemned Israel’s clamp-down on a sea humanitarian mission, detaining female volunteers aboard and seizing the cargo of relief supplies.

The Palestinian Government urges the international community to intervene and coerce Israel lift the blockade on Gaza, KUNA quoted the government spokesman Yousef Al-Mahmoud as saying in a statement.

“What Israel is doing against international activists who are in solidarity with the besieged Palestinian people signals intentions of the occupiers to prolong the tension and aggravate hardships suffered by our people,” he said.

The Israeli Navy has seized the boat, Al-Zaytouna-Oliva, with 13 women volunteers on board — including a Malaysian doctor — off Gaza strip.
Zaytouna-Oliva set sail from Barcelona, Spain on September 13th, with 13 women of various nationalities aboard the vessel.

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The flotilla is the fourth of its kind since 2010, when the first Freedom Flotilla was brutally attacked by Israeli naval forces, who killed ten Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara ship.

The Gaza Strip has been suffering under an Israeli military blockade since 2007, after Hamas Movement democratically won the 2006 Parliamentary election. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)