THE ISRAELI military was accused of “piracy” in European waters today after its forces launched a raid on activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a group of 55 vessels, mostly small sailing boats, accused the Israeli navy of kidnapping 175 of its members, seizing 22 of the boats and damaging the engines of several others, leaving them adrift at sea.

Unlike the previous GSF mission, which ended last October when the Israeli forces launched a similar raid just 70 miles from Gaza, Wednesday night’s events occurred in international waters off the coast of the Greek island of Crete — about 600 miles from Israel.

The group shared footage of the raid on the Eros, one of the participating boats, today. In scenes similar to the Israeli raids that ended the GSF mission last year, the crew are seen huddled together in their life vests on the deck, with their hands in the air, as Israeli soldiers yell: “Don’t move.”

A GSF spokesperson told the Morning Star this afternoon that one of the boats involved in the raid was OK, but the group didn’t have a good assessment yet of which boats remained operational.

“Let’s be clear about what this is. This is piracy,” GSF said in a statement.

“This is the unlawful seizure of human beings on the open sea near Crete, an assertion that Israel can operate with total impunity, far beyond its own borders, with no consequences.

“This sets a catastrophic precedent and should be condemned in the most direct ways.

“Silence from world governments signals that international law applies selectively and that the lives of civilians can be targeted by Israel, anywhere in the world, at any time, with no consequences.

“We demand accountability.”

Amnesty International senior director for research, advocacy, policy and campaigns Erika Guevara Rosas said the raid “underscores the dangerous consequences of decades of impunity for Israel’s ongoing atrocity crimes against Palestinians…

“The Israeli navy crossing hundreds of miles at sea to ensure civilian boats carrying food, baby formula and medical supplies don’t reach Palestinians reveals the lengths Israel is prepared to go to maintain its cruel and unlawful 19-year blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip.

“There are grave concerns for the safety of the around 175 activists being transported to Israel after their vessels were boarded in international waters near Greece and Israel jammed their communication channels.

“The crew of the intercepted vessels must be immediately and unconditionally released.

“States must urgently support their detained nationals and take tangible measures to end Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza - including immediately lifting its illegal blockade and allowing unimpeded humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.”

The Green Party of England and Wales’ five MPs — Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry, Carla Denyer, Adrian Ramsay and Hannah Spencer, plus Green peers Jenny Jones and Natalie Bennett, called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to urgently condemn the Israeli navy’s actions against the flotilla and to ensure the safety of all the GSF participants.

“UK government silence would equal complicity and a gross dereliction of duty,” they said in a letter to Sir Keir posted on social media.

“The UK government cannot allow the Israeli authorities to threaten our citizens at gunpoint in international water under the cover of night.”

Posting on social media, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, described the Israeli raid on the GSF as “apartheid without borders.”

She asked: “How on Earth is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe?

“Besides what you can think of apartheid Israel and its genocidal leaders, this should send shockwaves across Europe.”

The Italian government said it “condemns the seizure of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels,” and called on Israel “to immediately release all the unlawfully detained Italians.”

Though the Greek government appeared silent on the raid, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) was not.

The KKE condemned Israel’s “new pirate attack” and said the Greek government “must provide concrete answers, as the Israeli raid took place off the coast of Crete, in international waters and within Greece’s search and rescue zone.

“Was it aware of and in consultation with its murderous Israeli allies?” the party demanded to know. “What did it do to protect human lives in the face of such a dangerous act, given that, according to reports, the Israelis deliberately left hundreds of people on board damaged vessels in the open sea?”