Freedom Flotilla III was a flotilla that planned to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza. It started from Sweden on 10 May 2015 and stopped in several European cities along the way to Gaza. It started officially from Athens, Greece on 25 June 2015. Few details were released in advance. On 29 June 2015 the Swedish-flagged vessel "Marianne" was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters about 100 nautical miles from the Palestinian coast of Gaza. The Israeli military reported that no force was needed during the operation. However, eye-witness video published by Israeli Channel 2 TV shows people being tasered by IDF commandos. The Marianne was boarded by Israeli forces and taken to the port of Ashdod, while the rest of the ships turned back. Organizers of the flotilla have repeatedly stated the boat was carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza. According to Israel’s defense ministerMoshe Yaalon “there was no aid on board”. The activists supplied a picture with two boxes containing a single solar panel and a nebulizer and added that the boat was to be donated to Gazan fishermen. On 30 June 2015, Israel began releasing some detainees. Former Tunisian PresidentMoncef Marzouki was deported to Paris, France, Member of European ParliamentAna Miranda from Galicia to Spain. Arab Member of the Israeli KnessetBasel Ghattas and Israeli journalist Ohad Chamo were released. Two Canadians and a Norwegian sailor were deported on July 2. A Russian journalist and six Swedish participants remained in prison until July 6.
Reactions to the Flotilla
Official
Israel's stated plan was to "welcome" the flotilla participants and hand them letters with a message from the Prime Minister's Office: "Perhaps you meant to sail somewhere else nearby – Syria, where Assad's regime is massacring his people every day, with the support of the murderous Iranian regime."
UN-ESCWA: The UN Undersecretary-General and Executive Secretary of UN-ESCWARima Khalaf issued a statement condemning Israel’s detention of former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki. Khalaf concluded "What president Marzouki and his companions did is a practice of a right and a response to the call of conscience to lift the injustice and suffering of 1.8 million civilians under siege in Gaza. What Israel did is aggression and offence".
ISESCO: ISESCO condemned seizure of Freedom Flotilla Gaza 3 vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza Strip. It called on the international community to put pressure on the Zionist regime to promptly release all people on board and guarantee their safety including Moncef Marzouki.
: Tunisia condemned the interception by the Israeli occupation forces of one of the vessels of the Freedom III flotilla and the President Moncef Marzouki. Tunisia called on Israel, in a Foreign Ministry statement, to immediately release all participants in the flotilla, holding the Israeli occupation responsible for their safety and that of President Moncef Marzouki.
: The State of Qatar strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces interception of Freedom Flotilla III heading to Gaza and the detention of former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the officials are following with concern the development of the situation in the Gaza Strip, the continuation of the Israeli violations and cutting off humanitarian supplies for Gaza's population, calling for quickly release of Marzouki and the rest of the participants. The statement called on the international community to take immediate action to stop the Israeli abuse and lift the siege on the Gaza Strip.
: The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Israel for its intervention on the Swedish leader vessel, Marianne, in international waters during its participation in the Third Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The statement asked Israel to lift the blockade in Gaza immediately.
Unofficial
Vice Chairman of Hamaspolitical bureauIsmail Haniyeh condemned the Israeli piracy against Freedom Flotilla 3. Haniya stated that such piracy highlights the Israeli policy of violation of the International law, and reflects the Israeli terrorism that prevents freedom of sailing to and from the Strip. Haniya slammed the Israeli interception of prominent figures participating in Freedom Flotilla 3, including the former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, stressing that such Israeli act breaches diplomatic and international norms. Haniya praised Marzouki as a defender of the Arab Spring and Arab revolutions that support the Palestinian cause.
Spain's Podemos and Galician Nationalist Bloc have criticized Israeli action to disrupt the Third Gaza Freedom Flotilla. In a written statement, the Galician Nationalist Bloc described Israeli action as "piracy", and it called on Spain’s Foreign Ministry to take a tough stance over the incident and face the Gaza issue head on. Podemos's spokesman also urged the international community to raise its voice against Israel.
