Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Secretary General and former MP, Professor Mia Golam Porwar, issued a statement today, October 2 condemning and protesting the disgraceful role of the occupying Israel in seizing Gaza-bound relief ships, and calling for ensuring the safety of these vessels.

In the statement, he said: “Since October 2023, nearly 70,000 innocent people in Gaza have been martyred by Israeli aggression, most of whom are women and children. The United Nations and various human rights organizations have already warned that famine and disease in Gaza have reached a catastrophic stage. If emergency relief is not delivered immediately, the death of thousands of women and children will become inevitable.

We have also come to know that Israel has detained 13 relief vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla along with many human rights activists on board. Yet these ships were carrying food, water, and medicine for the people of Gaza. I strongly condemn and protest this inhuman act of Israel.

According to international human rights law, no one can be prevented from delivering humanitarian aid to its destination. By detaining the relief ships and the human rights activists, the occupying Israel has committed a heinous crime against humanity. Already, this incident has sparked a wave of condemnation around the world. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has also termed Israel’s action as a ‘terrorist attack,’ stating that it has placed the lives of innocent people in grave danger.

The reality is that the occupying Israel is carrying out ethnic cleansing in Palestine. By obstructing relief ships in international waters, they have committed a serious crime. This attack is one of the most heinous crimes against humanity.

He called upon the international community, saying: To save the lives of the starving people of Gaza, pressure must immediately be exerted on Israel to allow the relief ships to safely reach Gaza. At the same time, the safety and unconditional release of the detained human rights activists must be ensured.”