IDF intercepts Gaza aid ship, assaults US labour activist Chris Smalls
London: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday night intercepted an aid vessel bound for Gaza and reportedly assaulted American labour rights activist Chris Smalls, according to The Guardian. The vessel was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international initiative aiming to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, in operation since 2010.
Chris Smalls, best known for co-founding the Amazon Labor Union, was among 21 passengers detained by Israeli forces. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition stated on Instagram that Smalls was “physically assaulted by seven uniformed individuals” while in Israeli custody. “They choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back,” the statement alleged. Lawyers who later met Smalls reported that he was surrounded by six special unit officers.
The ship Handala was reportedly carrying humanitarian aid, including food, baby formula, diapers, and medical supplies. It was intercepted while attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza. The coalition claims the interception took place amid what it describes as a "worst-case scenario of famine" in the besieged enclave.
Among those detained were parliamentarians, medics, engineers, journalists, and civilians from various countries. This is not the coalition’s first such mission, an earlier flotilla in June, which included climate activist Greta Thunberg, was similarly intercepted by Israeli authorities, resulting in her arrest.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, when Israeli commandos killed 10 activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship, sparking international outrage.
Calls for international action against Israel’s blockade and treatment of aid workers have intensified in recent days, with some prominent Israeli figures themselves urging global sanctions over what they term the deliberate starvation of Gaza's civilian population.
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Delegation requests for Karnataka HC Bench in coastal districts, hands petition to Chief Justice
Udupi: A delegation of the High Court Bench Struggle Committee met and submitted a petition to the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru at the Circuit House urging the opening of a High Court Bench in the coastal belt as well as a Mobile High Court Bench in Mangaluru.
MLC and convener of the Committee Ivan D’Souza, who spoke to the Chief Justice on the occasion, explained that the people of the coastal belt find it difficult to travel to Bengaluru to fight a petition in the High Court. The problem only aggravated during monsoon. D’Souza added that there was a delay in clearing the cases of Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts, which was causing further inconvenience to the people.
The MLC, who pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also shown his preference for establishing a High Court Bench in the coastal region, requested for an approval to establish a Mobile High Court Bench first.
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Responding to this request, Chief Justice Bakhru assured to take action on the request as soon as possible.
The delegation included Mangalore Bar Association President Raghavendra HV, Dakshina Kannada Principal Government Pleader MP Noronha, General Secretary Sridhar H, Udupi Bar Association President Reynold Praveen Kumar, General Secretary Chandrashekhar Shetty, Vice-president Devadas V Shettigar and Brahmavar Bar Association President Kadoor Praveen Shetty.
