Source: Global Sumud Flotilla
All boats sailing with The Global Sumud Flotilla are now confirmed to have been illegally intercepted by the IOF. Three New Zealanders are now being illegally held in IOF custody: Mousa Taher, Hāhona Ormsby, and Julien Blondel.
Mousa, who was previously illegally intercepted by the IOF on April 29th alongside Julien Blondel, returned to the flotilla for a second time. Yesterday, before his illegal interception, Mousa sent us a message announcing, “I have a message to my fellow kiwi and the New Zealand Government. I’m on my boat which has humanitarian aid, on the way to Gaza to break the illegal siege of the Israeli occupation forces.”
He continued, “what I would like to say is that, for three years, I watched the uncontested demolition and obliteration of a people. It was on the TV for all of us to watch. Our government chose time and time again to do nothing. To be complicit, and to allow this to happen. There has been war crime after war crime, and yet the New Zealand Government has been investing and shaking hands with these war criminals who are committing war crimes.”
“Our government has a choice. Are you going to uphold international law? Are you going to uphold humanitarian values? Are you going to be the New Zealand that we know and love? Or are you going to allow these oppressors to continue?… Please just be humans. And stop the killing of babies… this is my request and my plea. Kia Kaha, and we will see you in Gaza hopefully.”
Also abducted is New Zealander Julien Blondel, dual citizen to Switzerland, who was beaten in the face in IOF custody after the first interception on April 29th. Despite the beatings, sexual harassment, and abuse that flotilla participants experienced during this abduction, both Julien and Mousa have returned to the flotilla to try and break the siege once more. They returned because they remain steadfast in their solidarity with the palestinian people and their belief in a liberated world.
Hāhona Ormsby (Ngāti Maniapoto), father of five children, is the third New Zealander to be illegally abducted. Prior to interception, he said, “we are now only days away from Gaza… we need your eyes on us. Your eyes then become the government’s eyes on us. It keeps us safe. It keeps us out of harm’s way by the IOF… My freedom is not real if yours is denied. Free Gaza.”
To echo Hāhona’s words, we implore New Zealand to keep its eyes on the abducted flotilla participants to keep our whānau safe. We demand that the New Zealand Government does everything in its power to protect them.
The abducted participants are being taken to a port in occupied Palestine. The Global Sumud Flotilla demands the immediate, unconditional release of all our participants, alongside the more than 9,000 unjustly detained Palestinian political prisoners facing a codified regime of state-sanctioned terror. GSF also calls on world leaders to demand the release of the flotilla participants, release of the Palestinian political prisoners and hostages and an end to the genocide and blockade on Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Global Humanitarian Convoy has been blocked on the outskirts of Sirte while attempting to reach Gaza. This is despite the unambiguity of the Fourth Geneva Convention: all parties are obligated to allow the free passage of humanitarian aid and personnel.
The international community must act now and protect the lives of the vulnerable. Blocking humanitarian aid is a violation of international law both at sea and on land. Our governments must speak up.
We call on the New Zealand government to protect Mousa, Hāhona, and Julien.
We call on the New Zealand government to condemn Israel’s illegal actions.
We call on the New Zealand government to demand safe passage of the Global Humanitarian Convoy.
We call on the New Zealand Government to demand the liberation of the 9,000 Palestinians still in illegal IOF custody.