ANKARA

Arab countries and rights activists said on Friday that they are closely monitoring the situation of their citizens who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which attempted to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, and are concerned about their safety before returning home.

In a statement, the Omani Foreign Ministry said it is “working diligently, through its partners and diplomatic relations, to guarantee the security of its citizens and their safe return,” while also urging that “all flotilla participants be protected and not exposed to any risks.”

It reiterated Oman’s call for “the international community to assume its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, pressure Israeli forces to halt repeated violations, and allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.”

According to the local Muscat Daily, three Omani volunteers were part of the humanitarian flotilla attacked by Israel.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is "monitoring the situation of Jordanians on board the Global Sumud Flotilla" and holds "Israel accountable for their safety."

It stressed the "need for the Israeli authorities to uphold their legal rights and ensure their safe return to the Kingdom."

According to the Global Sumud Flotilla's official website, the flotilla included three Jordanian activists.

In a statement, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said it is "monitoring Israel’s detention of two Lebanese citizens who were on board the flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip."

It explained that it is “conducting the necessary contacts to determine their fate and secure their release as soon as possible.”

In recent hours, reports circulated on social media about the presence of Lebanese international law specialist Lina Al-Tabbal and the head of the Latin-Palestinian Forum, Mohammad El-Kadri, among the activists on board the flotilla, before the news was cut off following the Israeli attack on the ships.

The Tripoli Bar Association in Lebanon also stated that it is "deeply concerned about what the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the Gaza siege was subjected to, an illegal interception by Israeli occupation forces."

The association expressed its “full solidarity with the Lebanese international law expert and with all participants in this humanitarian and rights-based initiative that seeks to deliver a message of freedom and justice to the Palestinian people besieged in the Gaza Strip.”

It called on the “international community to assume its responsibilities in protecting activists and human rights defenders and to stop systematic assaults on all those seeking to convey the voice of the Palestinian people deprived of the most basic elements of life and freedom.”

The Kuwaiti National Diwan for Human Rights, in a statement, also called for an end to Israel’s ongoing violations of international law and human rights principles and for the release of three Kuwaitis participating in the flotilla, according to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The Diwan affirmed that “the actions of the Israeli occupation forces against the flotilla’s ships and the activists on board constitute a blatant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, as they obstruct humanitarian efforts and endanger civilian lives.”

It urged “the immediate and unconditional release of all flotilla participants, including three Kuwaiti citizens, and ensuring their safety and safe return to their homelands.”

There are three Kuwaiti nationalists among the flotilla activists, according to the flotilla’s website.

On Thursday, Israeli naval forces attacked and seized 42 boats sailing to Gaza to challenge the Israeli blockade and detained 470 activists on board.

Israel has attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported activists on board earlier as well.

Israel has maintained the blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million, for nearly 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Palestinian enclave, rendering it uninhabitable. A 20-point plan to end the war was unveiled earlier this week.