Italian MPs Speaks: Israel Seizes Global Sumud Flotilla Carrying Gaza Aid | DRM News | AC1F

Individuals present and those who returned were detained illegally in international waters without committing any offense. This action is described not as an arrest, but a kidnapping, as no crime was committed. A complaint has been filed with the Rome public prosecutor's office regarding this "kidnapping."

The 35 miles separating the individuals from Gaza were inaccessible due to governmental inaction, failing to exert pressure to open a corridor that has been closed since 2007. The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid like food, jam, biscuits, and energy bars for children, aimed to deliver hope and encourage mobilization for the enforcement of international law. Despite the cargo, the participants were labeled as terrorists.

During their detention, participants were compelled to create a video confirming their well-being in exchange for allowing water to be transferred. The speaker noted the presence of approximately 40 armed individuals surrounding them whenever they were addressed, with menacing expressions contrasting with any attempted smiles.

• Individuals were detained illegally in international waters without any legal basis or having committed a crime.
• A complaint has been filed with the Rome public prosecutor's office for "kidnapping."
• A corridor to Gaza, closed since 2007, remains inaccessible due to governmental failure to apply pressure.
• The flotilla's mission was to bring hope and humanitarian aid, including food items, to Gaza.
• Participants were labeled as terrorists and surrounded by armed individuals during their detention.

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Illegal Detention and Kidnapping [00:00]

• All individuals, both present and returned, were detained illegally without any legal basis.
• They were taken by the Israeli Navy in international waters.
• They had not committed any crime.
• The speaker posits they were "kidnapped," not arrested, as no crime exists in this context.

This section establishes the premise of illegal detention, framing it as a kidnapping rather than a lawful arrest due to the absence of any criminal wrongdoing.

They were detained illegally without any legal basis. They were taken by the Israeli Navy and international waters without having committed any crime. So let's start from the assumption that they were kidnapped. I don't even use the term arrested. Because arrest presupposes a crime which in this case does not exist.

Legal Action and Blockade [00:38]

• A legal team filed a complaint with the Rome public prosecutor's office for "kidnapping."
• The 35 miles separating them from Gaza were unreachable.
• Governments, including their own, failed to put sufficient pressure on the government to open the corridor.
• This corridor has been closed since 2007.

This part details the initial legal response and highlights the governmental failure to facilitate access to Gaza by not pressuring for the opening of a long-standing closed corridor.

We with our legal team first of all filed a compaint with the Rome public prosecutor's office for let's say this kidnapping. Those 35 miles that separated us from Gaza were unreachable because governments including our own failed to do one thing. put real pressure on BB Netanyahu's government to open that corridor, which has been closed since 2007.

The Flotilla's Purpose and Labeling [01:25]

• The flotilla served as a means of strength and hope, encouraging people to mobilize and demand action from their governments.
• The primary demand from governments is the enforcement of international law.
• The speaker was illegally taken away in international waters on a ship flying the Italian flag.
• Participants had a single goal: to bring hope to Gaza.
• Boats were filled with boxes of food, such as jam, biscuits, and energy bars for children.
• Despite the humanitarian cargo, they were called terrorists.

This section emphasizes the flotilla's humanitarian mission and its goal of upholding international law, contrasting it sharply with the accusation of terrorism despite carrying essential supplies.

The flotilla is a means of strength and hope that has given people hope to get back to mobilizing to get back the strength to shout what we want from our governments. And we want very simple things as Arturo said, namely the enforcement of international law. I was illegally taken away in international waters on a ship flying the Italian flag together with people who had a single goal to bring hope to Gaza. Boats filled only with boxes of food, perhaps illegal food because there was jam, there were biscuits or there were energy bars for children. So this is illegality and they called us terrorists.

Ordeal of Detention [02:18]

• The only thing achieved in exchange for a video confirming they were fine was to get water into another van.
• They hoped to be allowed to pass without further incident.
• Every time someone spoke to them, there were approximately 40 armed people surrounding them.
• The smiles of those speaking to them were overshadowed by the angry and threatening faces of the armed individuals.

This final part describes the distressing conditions of their detention, including the coercion to make a video and the pervasive, intimidating presence of armed personnel.

The only thing we managed to do in exchange for a video they asked us to make to say we were fine was to get the water into the other van. But I assure you that every time someone spoke to us, there were 40 armed people around us and the smile of the person speaking to us was completely overshadowed by the angry and threatening faces of all the others.