Albares demands that Israel respect the “physical integrity and rights” of the Spanish citizens after the interception of the Flotilla

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has demanded that Israel respect the "physical integrity and rights" of the Spanish members of the flotilla after the Israeli army intercepted at least thirteen boats from the humanitarian mission carrying around thirty Spaniards, including former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. The Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv has contacted both the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the EU Delegation in the Israeli capital to "inquire specifically about the Spanish citizens" participating in the Flotilla and "guarantee all diplomatic and consular protection," according to Foreign Affairs sources. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also created a permanent monitoring unit and activated the Spanish consulates in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Nicosia. Minister José Manuel Albares is in contact with his counterparts in the countries with nationals present on the Flotilla, especially Ireland and Turkey, after the Israeli Army intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in the exclusion zone imposed by Benjamin Netanyahu's government to prevent it from reaching the Gaza Strip to overcome the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. “I am closely following the situation of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful and humanitarian initiative,” Albares wrote on social media. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Spanish Embassy in Israel, and the consulates in the area are mobilized to provide all diplomatic and consular protection to our citizens. Their physical integrity and rights must be respected,” he added. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Spanish Embassy in Israel, and the consulates in Jerusalem and Nicosia are closely monitoring the situation of the Global Sumud Flotilla and are fully mobilized to provide all diplomatic and consular protection to our citizens, according to Albares' Department in a statement. "Spain demands that the physical integrity and rights of Spanish citizens be respected. The Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful and humanitarian civil society initiative," it continued. "Spain will continue to demand an end to the war in Gaza, the massive entry of humanitarian aid, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the implementation of the two-state solution: Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security," it concluded. In a statement, Sumar (the minority party in Pedro Sánchez's coalition government) condemned "with the utmost firmness the attack perpetrated by the Israeli Armed Forces against the Sumud Global Flotilla, which departed from Barcelona with the legitimate, legal, and peaceful objective of breaking the illegal blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid." It called for the "immediate release" of all members of the flotilla "illegally detained," and urged the government to act "with the utmost diligence to demand that Israel release them and the immediate return of all members of the flotilla to their countries." Thirteen ships and 30 Spaniards Israel has "illegally" intercepted at least thirteen ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), while nearly thirty continue sailing toward Gaza in an attempt to break the blockade of the enclave, according to the mission's organizers. The thirteen detained ships had approximately 200 crew members, thirty of them Spanish nationals. In the early hours of the evening, it was reported that three Global Sumud Flotilla ships had been intercepted: the "Alma," the "Adara," and the "Sirius." The latter was carrying former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and ten other Spanish citizens. In addition to Colau, the detained Spaniards include political scientist and journalist Néstor Prieto. "I ask you to put all your pressure on the Spanish government to ensure respect for my rights and those of the other members of the flotilla," he wrote on social media. “Hello, I'm Ada Colau from Barcelona. I'm speaking to you from the ‘Sirius,’ a ship part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. If you're watching this video, it's because Israel has illegally detained us. That means we have no access to phones or the internet. We're completely cut off from communication,” Colau denounced in a video posted on social media alongside other members. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Israeli consulate in Barcelona to protest the interception of the flotilla. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has assured through X that the arrests were carried out “safely” and that the detainees were “being transferred to an Israeli port,” specifically to Ashdod. Among those detained is Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. “Greta (Thunberg) and her friends are safe and sound,” she assured. Before the arrests, the Israeli Army had sent a message to the flotilla around 8:00 p.m. (Spanish time) on Wednesday, asking it to stop advancing because it had entered a "zone of active conflict" and holding it responsible for the consequences. The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has described this Israeli operation against the flotilla as "a crime of piracy and maritime terrorism against civilians." Government recommendations Early on Wednesday, the government had "strongly" recommended that the flotilla members not enter the exclusion zone designated by the Israeli Army, because it "would severely endanger their own safety." It had also warned that the Spanish Navy ship "Furor," sent by Spain to assist the humanitarian mission, would not enter the zone because it "would endanger the physical integrity of its crew and the flotilla itself." These words have been harshly criticized by Sumar, which has warned on social media that "the Freedom Flotilla complies with international law and must complete its humanitarian mission in Gaza" and, therefore, "any attempt to prevent it would be illegal, which is why Spain and the EU have an obligation to protect it." For its part, the Flotilla's press office has harshly criticized these government recommendations. "While the Israeli Navy announces that it will impose a 120-nautical-mile exclusion zone, a de facto occupation of the eastern Mediterranean, the government is simply asking the crew of the Global Sumud Flotilla to abandon their mission and refusing to offer them the necessary protection to reach Gaza via a frigate whose actual distance from the Flotilla is unknown." In statements to the press in Copenhagen, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned this Wednesday that "the Flotilla does not represent a threat to Israel" and, therefore, "Israel should not represent a threat to the Flotilla either." "We must remember that this is a humanitarian mission that would not have taken place if the Government of Israel had allowed the entry of UNRWA and the distribution of this humanitarian aid by the United Nations," declared the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the informal meeting of heads of state and government, held within the framework of the Danish Presidency of the EU Council. “I have informed the Israeli government from the very beginning that, logically, our nationals, those compatriots who are on the flotillas, will enjoy full diplomatic protection, as is inevitable,” he stated. “We have sent a frigate to assist the members of the flotilla, from a humanitarian and rescue perspective,” he continued. The government has been “in contact” with the flotilla members and “with other countries that have members of their societies on these flotillas,” he added.

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