Two Luxembourg residents were on board aid vessels intercepted by Israel en route to Gaza, Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel has said, issuing strong criticism of the operation and calling for respect for international law.
Speaking before the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, Bettel said the individuals – a French and an Italian national living in Luxembourg – were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of around 30 vessels attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Luxembourg expects full respect for international law and had made that position clear to Israeli authorities, Bettel said, in remarks reported by RTL.
The flotilla comprises more than 50 vessels that set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy
Israeli naval forces intercepted more than 20 ships from the flotilla overnight from Wednesday to Thursday in international waters and arrested around 175 people. The convoy was later redirected towards Greece, where authorities agreed to take in those detained and facilitate their return to their countries of origin. Detainees were taken to the port of Atherinolakos in south-east Crete before being transferred onwards to the city of Heraklion.
Israel’s foreign ministry said two activists would be taken to Israel for questioning. One is suspected of links to a terrorist organisation, while another is accused of “illegal activities”, though no further details were provided.
By Friday, around 30 boats from the flotilla had reached the port of Ierapetra in south-east Crete, according to organisers and vessel tracking data. Earlier, the organisers told dpa that the flotilla had reached safe waters and was currently reorganising. They stated that it was fully ready to continue its journey “to break the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip.”
Israeli military detains Luxembourg resident on Gaza flotilla, organisers say
Six activists from Luxembourg had joined part of the flotilla bound for Gaza. Among them is Ermenegildo Molinari, 37, an Italian photographer who has been living in Luxembourg for 10 years. In an email sent on Thursday morning, Patrick Bosch, president of Global Movement to Gaza Luxembourg, said that Molinari “had been abducted”.
A video released in a social media post later on Thursday by the Global Sumud Luxembourg, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, showed a man who introduced himself as Molinari and who said that “if you are watching this video, it means that I have been kidnapped in international waters and taken by force by Israeli occupation forces or forces complicit with Israel”.
The aim of the Global Sumud Flotilla 2026 is to break the siege of Gaza by delivering essential humanitarian aid, including food, baby formula, school supplies and medicines. The flotilla was organised by pro-Palestinian groups seeking to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, which Israel says is necessary for security reasons.
Germany and Italy were among the countries voicing concern about the Israeli operation. A joint statement from Berlin and Rome suggested the interception in international waters may not be compatible with international law, a view Israel rejects.
In parliament on Thursday, Bettel also expressed frustration at the lack of a unified European response to Israel, stating that even getting agreement on an approach among the Benelux countries – Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands – remain “complex,” he said. He warned of broader regional instability, reiterating previous comments that Lebanon was on its way to becoming “a second Gaza.”
(This article has been first published on DPA. AI translated, with editing, and additional reporting by Lucrezia Reale.)
