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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Malpe: Two tourists die after boat capsizes near Kodibengre Beach
Udupi: Two tourists who were critically injured in a boat accident near Kodibengre Beach on Sunday afternoon have died, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Shankarappa (22) and Sindhu (23). Another tourist, Disha (26), is in critical condition, while Dharamraj (26) is said to be stable. All four are natives of Saraswathipuram in Mysuru district and were working at a call centre there.
According to police, a group of 14 tourists had arrived in Udupi on a leisure trip. They boarded a tourist boat from Kodibengre Delta Beach for a sea ride. Around 12 noon, near the Hangarakatta shipbuilding area at the river-sea confluence point, the boat suddenly capsized.
All 14 passengers were thrown into the water. It is learnt that only a few of them were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident. Nearby boat operators and locals rushed to the spot and rescued the tourists, bringing them safely to the shore.
Four of the rescued tourists were in serious condition and were immediately shifted to a hospital in Udupi. Despite treatment, two of them succumbed to their injuries, police said.
Malpe police have registered a case and further investigation is under way.
