At least 98 organizations and networks worldwide have signed a petition calling for the release of participants in the international flotilla «Sumud», which seeks to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip. In a statement received by Yabiladi, the signatories demand the «end of the genocide» committed against the Palestinians. They also express their «anger and indignation» following the interception that took place overnight from Wednesday to Thursday and the boarding of the participants. The latter were taken to the port of Ashdod to be handed over to the Israeli authorities. «This criminal act constitutes a blatant violation of maritime law and international humanitarian law; it obstructs a peaceful civilian initiative aimed at providing aid to the inhabitants of a region suffering from military aggression, genocide, and famine caused by the occupation», the statement reads. The action, which targeted participants from 44 countries, «compels all governments of these states to act swiftly and decisively to demand the immediate release of their citizens illegally detained by the Zionist occupation forces», the organizations further assert. The petition also calls for «the implementation of the decisions of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to end the impunity of the Zionist entity for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people». Among the signatories are the Maghreb Coordination for Human Rights, the International Federation of Teachers' Unions, the Global Coalition for Solidarity and Defense of Palestinian Prisoners, the Egyptian Coalition for Children's Rights, as well as the Moroccan Coalition of Human Rights Organizations, which brings together 20 member groups.
