Bogotá (TDI): Colombia has ordered the expulsion of Israel’s entire diplomatic delegation following the interception of a Gaza‑bound humanitarian flotilla in which two Colombian nationals were reportedly detained.
President Gustavo Petro declared on social media that, if the reported detention proves accurate, it would amount to “a new international crime by Benjamin Netanyahu.”
He simultaneously announced that Colombia would denounce its Free Trade Agreement with Israel and initiate legal action, including filing lawsuits in Israeli courts and calling on global legal practitioners to join in support.
While Colombia had formally severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024, the latest move intensifies its position. The remaining Israeli diplomatic representatives are now being expelled.
The decision came in response to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international aid mission aimed at delivering relief to besieged Gaza.
Read More: Pakistan Condemns Israeli Attack on Sumud Flotilla, Demands Release of Activists
Two Colombians aboard, identified as Manuela Bedoya and Luna Barreto, were detained when the vessel allegedly reached 150 nautical miles off Israel’s coast. The flotilla’s organizers claimed the action violates international law and the Geneva Conventions.
Israeli authorities asserted the flotilla was headed into an active combat zone, breaching a legally enforced maritime blockade. They said the ship was asked to divert to Ashdod port and offered that aid be transferred through existing and verifiable channels.
Israeli forces halted 13 boats carrying activists and humanitarian supplies bound for Gaza, though another 30 vessels are still attempting to reach the enclave, according to flotilla organizers.
Read More: Israel Blocks Gaza Aid Flotilla, Drawing Global Outcry
Turkiye’s foreign ministry labelled Israel’s interception “an act of terror” that endangered civilians. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condemned the move, saying eight Malaysians were detained.
The interceptions sparked protests in Italy and Colombia, where Italian unions even called a general strike in solidarity with the flotilla, Reuters reported.
By early Thursday, 13 boats had been stopped, while 30 others remained at sea, about 46 nautical miles from Gaza. Organisers insisted they would “continue undeterred.”
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