Sumar, ERC, and Bildu have jointly submitted a request in Congress this Thursday for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to appear before the relevant committee and detail what steps he intends to take following the new interception of vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza by the Israeli government.
In the document presented in the Lower House, the signatory parties demand that Albares report on the actions the Ministry will undertake following what they describe as the "hijacking" of the ships by Israeli naval forces, which carried Spanish citizens "for peaceful and humanitarian purposes."
The groups maintain that the interception took place in international waters, "violating international law" and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The request for appearance also includes a reference to the dissemination, by Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, of videos showing detained pro-Palestinian activists "being subjected to degrading treatment in violation of their consular rights."
Sumar's Criticisms of the Treatment of Activists
Sumar, a member of the coalition government, has denounced on social media the new "hijackings" of vessels by Israel and the "serious abuses and humiliations" inflicted on the activists. "This cannot be tolerated. They will pay for their crimes," the party stated.
Last week, these groups, along with deputies from Podemos, BNG, and Compromís, already requested in the Foreign Affairs Committee the appearance of the Spanish-Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek, who was arrested by Israel for ten days at the beginning of the month.
On May 7, Albares appeared before the Plenary Session of Congress at the request of the same groups to explain his efforts in defense of the flotilla's participants. At that time, he defended the government's diplomatic actions and reiterated that the activist's detention occurred in "international waters" and that it was an "illegal detention."