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JERUSUALEM (AFP) – Israel's navy on Sunday (July 29) intercepted a Norwegian-flagged activist boat trying to break its decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip.
An activist group affiliated with the boat -Awda (The Return), said 22 people – including two Singaporeans – and a cargo ship of medical supplies were on board.
According to a statement released by the group on Monday night, two Israeli citizens – including boat leader Zohar Chamberlain Regev have been arrested to enter the Gaza Strip and have been released on
The rest are still being detained. They include Singaporean independent film-maker Jason Soo, 42, and orthopedic surgeon Ang Swee Chai, 69, according to the activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organizes the aid mission.
Soo is known for his documentary 1987: Untracing The Conspiracy, about detainees arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1987.
According to the group, Soo was with Dr. Ang and was creating a documentary about her. Dr. Ang quit her job in 1982 to treat casualties in war-torn Lebanon.
She is the widow of Mr Francis Khoo, a fellow activist who fled Singapore in 1977 to evade the Internal Security Department. In the case of MFA, spokesperson spokesman said in a statement to MFA, "MFA has contacted the Israeli authorities, saying:
Shortly before the Awda was intercepted, the coalition issued a statement saying that the Israeli navy was issuing warnings to it.
that they would use 'any measures necessary' to stop us, "it said.
" In fact, the only 'necessary measures' would be to end the blockade of Gaza and restore freedom of movement for all Palestinians. " It said afterwards on Twitter that the boat had been "hijacked by Israeli forces".
Israel has fought three wars with Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2008 and says the blockade is necessary to keep them in check.
The Awda is the first of three vessels for the purpose of the fight against terrorism. Palermo, Sicily, on July 21, with 40 activists from 15 countries taking part in
A second boat that is part of the same group, the Swedish-flagged Freedom, is expected to arrive in the same
A year in the next couple days, according to the FFC. In this incident, Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists when they raided a six-ship flotilla trying to reach the Gaza strip in defiance of the blockade. Another activist died years later.
The botched raid angered Turkey and saw it cut off with Israel until 2016.
Other attempts to run the Israeli blockade included a 2016 women's boat with 13 pbadengers, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead winner Maguire of Northern Ireland.
Their sailing boat was halted by the Israeli navy and taken to Ashdod, about 30km north of Gaza, and the women were detained before being deported.
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