Israeli troops on October 20 commandeered a Gaza-bound ship that tried to break through Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-ruled seaside strip. European lawmakers and other pro-Palestinian activists aboard did not resist, and the Finnish-flagged vessel was diverted to an Israeli port.
The voyage by the ship, Estelle, marked the latest challenge to the air, land and sea embargo of Gaza that Israel imposed after the Hamas group seized the territory in 2007.
Six Israeli naval vessels stopped the Estelle when it was about 30 nautical miles from Gaza, and masked soldiers boarded the ship and ordered it to sail to Israel’s Ashdod port, said Victoria Strand, a spokeswoman for the activists.
The Swedish-owned Estelle left Naples, Italy, on October 7 with about 30 people from eight countries, including lawmakers from Norway, Sweden, Greece and Spain, as well as Israeli activists and a 79-year-old former legislator from Canada.
Estelle passengers report extreme violence. Two Greek parliamentarians were severely attacked by Blackhawk helicopters and hundreds of soldiers. The Estelle passengers were in the courtroom for three minutes. Once they started telling media about Israel army violence they were taken out, and brought back only when the judge came in. The judge decided to leave them in custody for an additional 48 hours. The Israeli activists arrested on the Estelle are being charged with violating Disengagement Law, incitement to rebellion and aiding ‘the enemy’. International activists were taken to Hulon and Israel has reportedly started to “deport” them.
The sailors on board Estelle are Member of Parliament Hagen Aksel of Norway, Member of Parliament Britton Sven of Sweden, Member of Parliament Kodelas Dimitios of Greece, Member of Parliament Sixto Ricardo of Spain, Member of Parliament Diamantopoulos Evangelos of Greece, Former Member of Parliament Manly James of Canada, Opperdoes Joel Arvid Alexander of Sweden, Andreasson Charles Bertil of Sweden, Särner Daniel Karl-Erik of Sweden, Uddebrant Johan Lars OS of Sweden, Widell Anders Nils Olof of Sweden, Reksten Herman Elias of Norway, Elhanan Elazar of Israel, Sjøstrøm Nils Johan of Norway, Koivisto Velimati of Finland, Hammervold Jan Petter of Norway, Feiler Dror of Sweden, Svenberg Kristian of Sweden, Boethius Maria-Pia of Sweden, Mor Reut of Israel, Jämiä Mika of Finland, Arau Crusellas Laura of Spain, Ramazzotti Stockel Marco of Italy, Shapira Yonathan of Israel, Tiktopoulos Mikhalis of Greece, Zabale Gouzalet BegoÒa of Spain, Stamellos Loukas of Greece, Piassas Evangelos of Greece, Gardell Mattias of Sweden, and Vinthagen Stellan of Sweden.