Mexican leader slams Israel interception of Gaza aid ships: ‘They did not commit any crime’
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday condemned Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, demanding the immediate release of six Mexican citizens detained aboard the aid mission.
At her morning press conference in Mexico City, Sheinbaum said her government had already sent four diplomatic notes to Israel. The letters requested guarantees of safety for the detainees, questioned the reasons for their arrest and pressed for their urgent repatriation.
“What the Israeli authorities are saying is that they are going to take them to a detention centre. Our consulate is there to support them in whatever is needed and demanding the immediate repatriation of our compatriots,” Sheinbaum said.
The president confirmed that the six Mexicans — Sol Gonzalez Eguia y Arlyn; Gabriela Medrano; Carlos Perez Osorio; Diego Vazquez Galindo; Ernesto Ledesma Arronte; and Laura Alejandra Velez Ruiz Gaytan — had been transferred to the port of Ashdod.
Sheinbaum reiterated her government’s opposition to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, calling it a barrier to life-saving aid.
“Humanitarian aid must reach Gaza, and our Mexican brothers and sisters, all of them, but specially our compatriots, must be repatriated immediately because they did not commit any crime,” she told reporters.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of dozens of vessels from more than 40 countries, was intercepted in international waters earlier this week. Israeli forces detained hundreds of activists, among them climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, South African MP Mandla Mandela and 22 Italians.
Israel maintained that no boats reached Gaza and said the interceptions were necessary to enforce what it described as a lawful blockade. Its Foreign Ministry warned that any remaining ships attempting to approach the enclave would also be stopped.
Organisers of the flotilla said their mission was to deliver humanitarian supplies and highlighted the risks as they entered waters around 150 nautical miles from Gaza.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called Israel’s actions a violation of international law, while flotilla organisers rejected claims that participants had links to Hamas, insisting the mission was peaceful.
Efforts to break the Gaza blockade by sea have been mounted since 2008, most of them intercepted by Israel. The deadliest incident came in 2010, when Israeli forces stormed the Mavi Marmara ship and killed 10 Turkish activists.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
