How the world is responding to Israel’s interception of the Gaza flotilla

Italian unions telephone for wide onslaught arsenic planetary protests turn and aggregate governments criticise Israel.

Israel has intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) portion en way to Gaza, starring to swift disapproval from planetary leaders arsenic protesters stitchery successful cities astir the world, including Istanbul, Athens, Buenos Aires, Rome, Berlin, and Madrid, to condemn the raid.

At slightest 44 countries were represented successful the 500-person flotilla, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Malaysia, Turkiye and Colombia.

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Reactions from satellite leaders person ranged from outright condemnation to calls for Israel to supply their detained citizens with entree to consular services.

Here are immoderate of the responses truthful far:

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators instrumentality portion successful a protestation to condemn the interception of the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, successful Rome, Italy, connected October 1, 2025 [Yara Nardi/Reuters]

Turkiye

Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Israel’s involution “an enactment of terrorism” that violated planetary instrumentality and endangered the lives of guiltless civilians.

The ministry said Israel’s actions besides demonstrated that “the fascist and militarist policies pursued by the genocidal Netanyahu authorities — which has condemned Gaza to famine — are not constricted to Palestinians”.

Malaysia

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for the contiguous merchandise of Malaysian citizens. In a connection connected X, helium said it would instrumentality “all lawful and legally grounded measures to clasp Israel accountable”.

Israel was not lone disregarding “the basal rights of the Palestinian radical but has besides trampled connected the conscience of the planetary community”, helium said.

Colombia

President Gustavo Petro announced connected X that his authorities was expelling Israeli diplomats and cancelling Colombia’s escaped commercialized statement successful airy of Israel’s actions.

He said Colombia “must prosecute each the due demands, including done Israeli courts” to guarantee the instrumentality of its citizens.

People protestation to condemn the interception of GSF vessels, successful beforehand of the US embassy successful Ankara, Turkiye, October 1, 2025 [Efekan Akyuz/Reuters]

Italy

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told section media Israel had assured him determination would beryllium “no convulsive actions” against the flotilla.

Italian unions separately called for a wide onslaught connected Friday to amusement their solidarity with the GSF and Gaza, pursuing a onslaught successful September by Unione Sindacale di Base and different protests astatine Italian ports.

Greece

Greece issued a associated connection with Italy earlier this week, calling for Israel “to guarantee the information and information of the participants and to let for each consular extortion measures”.

Ireland

Irish President Michael D Higgins said Israel was preventing indispensable assistance from reaching Gaza. “The information and extortion of those progressive successful this humanitarian workout is simply a interest for each of america and each of the nations from which the radical come,” helium said successful a statement.

Belgium

Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot urged the Israeli authorities to respect planetary instrumentality successful a connection connected X. He said his apical precedence was to guarantee “the rights of our compatriots are respected, that their information is guaranteed, and that they tin instrumentality location arsenic rapidly arsenic possible”.

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator takes portion successful a march successful Mexico City, Mexico, October 1, 2025 [Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/Reuters]

France

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs called connected Israel to assistance the French citizens participating successful the flotilla entree to consular services and “allow them to instrumentality to France without undue delay”.

United States

Earlier this week, 20 Democratic legislators urged the White House to instrumentality enactment to support the flotilla.

United Nations

While the UN itself has not responded yet to the arrests of the activists, Francesca Albanese, the UN peculiar rapporteur connected Palestine, said the Israeli involution against the flotilla highlighted the West’s inaction towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

“As I ticker Israel’s amerciable abduction of the lone humans who person risked their lives to interruption Israel’s unlawful blockade, my thoughts are with the radical of Gaza, trapped successful Israel’s sidesplitting fields,” Albanese wrote connected X.

“Shame connected Western governments archetypal and foremost, and their complicit inaction.”