Palestinians Condemn New Israeli Assault on Activist Flotilla

Palestinian parties today harshly condemned the Israeli assault on the Global Freedom Flotilla in international waters, which included the seizure of about twenty boats carrying pro-Palestinian activists.

The Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative Movement, Mustafa Barghouti, accused Israel of violating international law by attacking the flotilla, which was attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

“The brutal attacks perpetrated by the occupation against the solidarity activists of the flotilla reveal the magnitude of the fear experienced by the entity (Israel) as a consequence of the growing wave of international solidarity with the Palestinian cause,” he stated.

The actions of Benjamin Netanyahu's government represent a new act of piracy intended to isolate the Palestinian people and cut off the path of global solidarity with them, he emphasized.

Osama Hamdan, a leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, spoke in a similar vein. The incursion is further proof of Israel's brutality, Hamdan affirmed in statements to Al Jazeera.

Last night, the Israeli Navy attacked the flotilla more than a thousand kilometers away from Gaza, sparking global criticism.

Rana Hamida, a spokesperson for the activists, denounced that seven ships were seized last night near the Greek island of Crete, although the Israeli press reported about twenty.