Activists from the Global Summit Fleet surrounded an MSC ship to protest the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, highlighting their ongoing efforts.
A group of activists, who organized a flotilla action for the third time to support Gaza and draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in the region, announced that they attempted to intervene with an MSC container ship sailing in the Mediterranean. According to the activists, on April 20, the giant container ship sailing between Libya and Malta was surrounded by approximately 20 sailing boats.
The group, identifying themselves as the Global Summit Flotilla, set sail from Barcelona, Spain, on April 15. Organization officials reported that 39 sailing vessels participated in the first phase of the journey. It was stated that the flotilla was heading towards Sicily, where they planned to merge with new boats to form a larger organization and then cross the Mediterranean to reach Israel.
The group expressed that they were protesting to highlight the difficulties faced by Palestinian refugees and noted that they had previously attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. It was recalled that Israel had blocked previous flotilla attempts and deported participants.
The Target was the MSC Maya Ship
According to the activists' statement, they encountered the MSC Maya, a Panama-flagged container ship heading from Singapore to Israel's Ashdod Port. The ship, which has a carrying capacity of approximately 200,000 dwt, was claimed to have a capacity of over 19,000 TEU and to be carrying 'strategic materials' to Israeli ports.
The group reported that the action initially started with 13 boats, which later increased to 20. It was noted that the container ship was surrounded and the protest lasted for approximately three hours.
Organization spokespeople stated, 'We managed to slow the ship down and force it to deviate from its course. This caused the ship to lose time and fuel.'
The activists indicated that the protest was inspired by some dock workers who refused to handle ships alleged to be carrying weapons to Israel. The group claimed they were coordinating an action aimed at disrupting the flow of raw materials and logistics to Israel.
The statement also expressed that the recent action serves as a model for larger-scale initiatives in the future, conveying the message that this is only the beginning and similar protests will continue.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
