Sumud Flotilla detainees begin hunger strike in Israeli custody

They act in protest the instant Israel boards the vessels

Activists detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla are in an indefinite hunger strike.

The International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza confirmed the protest on Friday, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.

The committee said the detainees began the strike from the moment they were captured by Israeli forces in international waters.

The flotilla had set out to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian supplies.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The United Nations and human rights groups have warned Gaza is becoming uninhabitable, with famine and disease spreading rapidly.

In this backdrop, the Global Sumud Flotilla sailed from Spain on Aug 31. The fleet included nearly 50 vessels carrying about 450 representatives from 44 countries, among them rights activists.

Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla, seized all ships and detained those on board.

The detentions took place in international waters as well as in Palestinian territorial waters.