UK avoids condemning Israeli seizure of British-flagged aid boat to Gaza

The UK has avoided condemning the Israeli seizure of a British-flagged aid vessel heading towards Gaza in the early hours of Monday morning. The Madleen boat, whose 12-person crew included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French lawmaker Rima Hassan, was intercepted by Israeli naval commandos at 3:02am CEST.

The vessel was in international waters at the time of the interception, 40 nautical miles from the Egyptian coast and 120 nautical miles from the nearest point in Gaza, the flotilla’s organisers told Middle East Eye.

Asked by MEE if the government condemned the interception of a UK-flagged vessel, the Foreign Office avoided directly answering the question.

Instead, it referred to a statement by Downing Street, which said that the UK wanted to see Israel resolve the detention of the vessel “safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law”.