A SUSPENDED Labour MP has written to the Foreign Secretary urging him to intervene and protect the crew of the UK-flagged Madleen after it was seized by Israeli forces.
Israel has said it has begun to deport 12 activists whose Gaza-bound aid boat was seized in the Mediterranean on Monday.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry shared a photo of crew member Greta Thunberg on a plane, saying that she was heading for France before continuing to Sweden.
The Madleen was also carrying French member of the European Parliament, Rima Hassan.
Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing Thunberg and the other activists, said the Swede, two other campaigners, and a journalist had agreed to be deported, but other activists who refused deportation were being held in detention, with their case set to be heard by Israeli authorities.
Apsana Begum, who was suspended from Labour after she voted against keeping the two-child benefit cap last year, has written David Lammy saying it is a "matter of urgency" that the UK upholds its responsibilities to protect UK-flagged ships.
She added the UK must fulfil its obligations under international law and protect those on-board to prevent "unlawful interference, such as threats or use of force by a foreign power".
Her letter said: "A UNHRC report into Israel's interception of a similar aid vessel in 2010 set out evidence of 'wilful killing' and an 'unacceptable level of brutality', concluding that a 'serious of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law were committed by Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla and during the detention of passengers in Israel prior to deportation'.
She went on: "I urge you as Foreign Secretary to take immediate action to ensure that Israel, the UK's ally, ceases any hostility towards this UK unarmed civilian vessel, acts in accordance with its international obligations and ensures the human rights and safety of everyone on board."
Israeli naval forces seized the boat early on Monday about 125 miles off Gaza’s coast. It had been in international waters sailing under a UK red ensign, meaning it was under UK jurisdiction.
After being illegally seized, the boat arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening.
The activists were attempting to deliver a "symbolic" amount of aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade to highlight the humanitarian crisis there.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry tried to portray the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying on social media that “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.
Sabine Haddad, a spokesperson for Israel’s Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported on Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits.
Adalah said that Israel had “no legal authority” to take over the ship because the group said it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the “territorial waters of the state of Palestine”.
Amnesty International said Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid.
Heidi Matthews, a professor specialising in international criminal law at York University in Toronto, Canada, told The National that as the naval blockade on Gaza is “unlawful”, there are several points of law that the Israeli forces have breached by capturing the Madleen.
As well as France and Sweden, citizens of Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey were on board the Madleen.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the activist group operating the yacht, said in a statement on Monday night that it expected any of the passengers who refused the deportation orders to be transferred to Ramle prison, near Tel Aviv.
The FFC said the Madleen was carrying baby formula, food, medicine.
Israel says its blockade on Gaza is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas fighters there.
On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would act against any attempt to breach the blockade.
The FFC has argued that the sea blockade is illegal, characterising Katz's statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and "attempting to justify that violence with smears".
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
