Israel storms Gaza-bound aid ship shortly after distress call

Gaza has condemned the storming of the Handala aid ship by the Israeli military as an act of "naval piracy," and urged the international community to protect humanitarian convoys heading toward the besieged enclave.

The Gaza Media Office said on Sunday it "strongly condemns the crime of the Israeli occupation forces storming the solidarity ship 'Handala' while it was sailing in international waters as part of a humanitarian mission to break the unjust blockade on the Gaza Strip."

It called the raid "a blatant act of aggression," and said it "constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and maritime navigation rules."

It added: "This confirms once again that the occupation behaves as a rogue force outside the law and targets every humanitarian initiative aiming to rescue over 2.4 million besieged and starving Palestinians in Gaza."

The media office held Israel responsible for the safety of international activists onboard the vessel and urged the UN and human rights organisations to take "urgent and firm action" to ensure international protection for humanitarian convoys headed to Gaza.

Storming of Handala

On Saturday, Israeli forces stormed the Handala, which was carrying the activists in an attempt to break the deadly blockade on Gaza.

A live broadcast showed armed soldiers boarding the ship and ordering the activists to raise their hands. Moments later, the broadcast was cut, and the fate of the ship's crew and passengers remains unknown.

The ship had sent a distress call as Israeli naval forces approached near the coast of Gaza.

The Handala had come within 130 kilometres of the enclave — closer than the Maddeline ship, which reached 110, according to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza.

The vessel departed from Syracuse, Italy, on July 13 and docked briefly in Gallipoli on July 15 to resolve technical issues before setting sail on July 20 with 21 activists on board.

Israeli-made famine

Gaza is enduring severe famine compounded by the Israeli genocide in the blockaded enclave.

The closure of border crossings and ban on food and medicine since March 2 has caused widespread starvation and severe malnutrition for children and patients.

Israel has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its carnage in Gaza.

Some 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under rubble of annihilated homes, according to Palestine's official WAFA news agency.

Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.

Over the course of the genocide, Israel has reduced most of the blockaded enclave to ruins, and practically displaced all of its population.

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Source: TRT