Israel intercepted the Global Flotilla Sumud near Crete, more than 1,000 kilometers from Gaza, with 175 activists on board. Among the members of the mission were about twenty people from Catalonia, including Judith Piñol from Terrassa, a member of Sanitaris x Palestina.
The expedition had set sail from Barcelona on April 15 with the objective of bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. After the interception became known, the organization denounced that at least 22 of the 58 vessels participating in the mission were boarded in international waters by several military ships and motorboats. It also assured that the rest of the vessels managed to get away in time.
An activist from Terrassa among the participants
Judith Piñol, a resident of Terrassa and a member of Sanitaris x Palestina, was part of the intercepted flotilla. The activist had recorded a video prepared to be released if a situation like the one recorded in the early hours of the morning occurred.
The humanitarian organization also maintained that during the operation the flotilla's communications were blocked. As a result of what happened, it claimed aid from governments regarding the situation of the activists traveling on board.
Institutional contact after interception
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, assured that the Government is in contact with the Israeli authorities to follow the situation of the people who were part of the mission, among them the twenty activists linked to Catalonia.
The complaint by the organization places the action in international waters, near Crete, a great distance from the coast of Gaza. The mission was made up of 58 vessels within the so-called Flotilla Global Sumud.
Protest called in Terrassa
In Terrassa, the entity Terrassa x Palestina called for a protest in the Raval de Montserrat at seven this afternoon in defense of the detained activists. The mobilization comes after a day marked by a lack of communication with part of the flotilla and by uncertainty about the situation of its members.
The interception has generated concern among entities supporting Palestine in Catalonia, especially due to the presence of Catalan activists in the expedition and the complaint that part of the operation occurred with communications blocked while the mission was trying to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid.