Hamas: Flotilla Attack is ‘Maritime Terrorism’, Amid Global Outrage

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has robustly denounced the "Israeli" occupation’s attacks on multiple vessels belonging to the Gaza Strip-bound Global Sumud Flotilla.

In a statement on Thursday, the movement called the aggression targeting the ships, their activists, and accompanying journalists a “treacherous attack, a crime of piracy, and maritime terrorism.”

“We condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric aggression launched by the enemy against the Sumud Flotilla and affirm that intercepting the flotilla is a criminal act that must be condemned by all free people of the world,” it added.

The group, however, commended the activists’ courage and determination to break "Israel’s" near-total siege of the already war-battered coastal sliver.

Additionally, it called for global protest actions condemning the aggression and worldwide denunciation of the atrocity.

The flotilla, made up of over 50 vessels, set sail from Barcelona late last month on a mission to challenge what human rights groups have condemned as one of the harshest and most inhumane blockades in the world.

Described as the largest maritime effort of its kind in decades, the flotilla brings together delegations representing at least 44 different countries.

Hamas’ condemnation followed "Israeli" naval forces’ interception of multiple vessels belonging to the fleet as they had sailed as far as nearly 90 nautical miles off the Palestinian territory.