Germany, Italy call on Israel to refrain from ‘irresponsible actions’ after interception of Gaza-bound flotilla

Germany and Italy on Thursday called on Israel to respect international law and refrain from “irresponsible actions” after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters.

“Italy and Germany follow with great concern developments regarding the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was seized last night in international waters off the coast of Greece,” Berlin and Rome said in a joint statement.

“We call for a full respect of international applicable law and for restraint from irresponsible actions. Our common utmost priority is to ensure the security of our citizens, in line with humanitarian international law,” the statement said.

The German and Italian governments also reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the international community to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza in accordance with international law and standards.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said naval forces intercepted and seized more than 20 ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea and detained about 175 activists on board. The attack took place near the Greek Island of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles (over 1,000 kilometers) from Israel.

The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid, set sail two weeks ago from the Italian island of Sicily, with a total of 58 vessels aiming to break Israel's years-long blockade of Gaza.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million population on the verge of starvation.

In October 2023 the Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000 and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.