By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) – Indonesia on Monday condemned Israel’s raid on the aid ship Madleen, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.
“I strongly condemn Israel’s interception of the Madleen vessel in international waters while it was delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Foreign Minister Sugiono wrote on X.
“This is yet another blatant violation of international law and a cruel blow to those suffering in Gaza,” he added, urging Israel to ensure humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.
Sugiono pointed out that Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which restricts aid, is a type of “collective punishment,” that increases the risk of mass starvation.
He stressed that international efforts to establish a maritime aid corridor must not compromise the importance of securing land-based humanitarian access, calling for the opening of all humanitarian routes to Gaza.
“At the upcoming High-Level Conference on Palestine in New York, I urge the international community - especially the UN Security Council - to act decisively: protect civilians & adopt a resolution that ends the blockade & guarantees sustained humanitarian access,” Sugiono added.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition sent the Madleen from Sicily, Italy on June 1 to break the blockade in Gaza and deliver aid.
The ship was carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches and children’s prosthetics, according to its organizers.
Madleen was seized by Israeli naval forces on Sunday while sailing in international waters and redirected to the port of Ashdod.
The aid ship had a 12-strong crew on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.
Other activists aboard the Madleen included Yasemin Acar from Germany; Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi and Reva Viard from France; Thiago Avila from Brazil, Suayb Ordu from Türkiye, Sergio Toribio from Spain, Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher, also from France.
As Israel has continued to close all Gaza’s border crossings to humanitarian aid since early March, aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.