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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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
