We join an urgent international alert issued by the Global Sumud Flotilla on May 2 on a State-sponsored abduction and torture that took place in international waters.

Following the illegal interception of 22 vessels belonging to Global Sumud Flotilla by Israel in international waters, 175 civilian participants were hijacked from 21 boats and transferred to the Israeli ship NAHSHON, where they were subjected to physical and verbal violence. Two of them,  Swedish-Spanish-Palestinian Saif Abu Keshek and the Brazilian Thiago Ávila, were sent to prisons in Israel. Eyewitness testimonies confirm reports of torture and violence by Israeli forces towards them, after being separated from the others.

We join the call from the Global Sumud Flotilla on world leaders, urging specifically the governments of Brazil and several countries – including Spain, Italy and Sweden for the immediate release of Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila.

We condemn the lack of action of Greek authorities to provide assistance to persons in distress within their Search and Rescue (SAR) zone and demand full protection of new vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, so desperately needed.

The European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine demands the immediate release of all abducted civilians and calls on European governments to take actions towards the release of all the hostages. We demand actions to put an end to Israel`s ongoing genocide in Gaza, to stop European complicity in Israel`s crimes and to impose comprehensive military embargo on Israel.