Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was shocked to hear about the arrests of 21 human rights advocates on board of an aid ship heading to the Gaza Strip, carrying medical supplies, reconstruction materials and children’s toys to alleviate the lack of equipments resulting from the 2009 Gaza war and the Israeli blockade.
Dr. Barghouthi, who himself boarded such a ship in Cyprus at the end of 2008, firmly condemned the aggressive way Israel’s authorities dealt with the solidarity convoy and reiterated that such arrests on international waters are against international law.
He expressed his concern as to the outrageous arrest of peace and human rights activists such as Nobel prize laureate Mairead Maguire, former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and member of the Free Gaza movement that were on board of the convoy.
‘Supplies carried by the boat are urgently needed in Gaza, where medical treatments and reconstruction supplies are prevented from entering the Strip due to the Israeli blockade.’ Dr Barghouthi confirmed that only a very few amount of goods are allowed in the Strip, seriously affecting the reconstruction process as well as the overall health and economic situation.
He righteously declared that the boat posed no security threat to Israel and firmly denounced Israeli authorities’ obstruction strategy as the main cause of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Dr Mustafa Barghouthi urgently calls on all diplomatic missions to establish appropriate measures to help and free the arrested human rights’ activists and to make sure that all humanitarian goods are delivered in time in the Strip.
Ramallah, West Bank. 30 June
Contact +972 599 201 528, +972 599 254 218