NYC Mayor Mamdani slams Israel's flotilla raid as "illegal"

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has strongly condemned the Israeli Navy’s interception of a flotilla carrying activists bound for Gaza, calling the operation “a brazen violation of international law.”

In a post on X, Mamdani said Israeli forces boarded a humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters near Greece and detained more than 175 people, including several New York residents. He said his team was working with state and federal partners to confirm the whereabouts and condition of those detained, and demanded their immediate release, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The flotilla, made up of more than 20 vessels, was reportedly carrying activists seeking to draw attention to humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Israeli authorities confirmed the interceptions and said all participants were taken off the vessels unharmed.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the detainees would be transferred to Greece and later disembarked there, adding that the operation targeted what he described as a “provocative flotilla” rather than a genuine humanitarian mission. He also reiterated Israel’s position that it will enforce what it calls a lawful naval blockade.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the operation was carried out in accordance with international law and was necessary due to the scale of the flotilla, adding that it was conducted peacefully and without casualties.

The action drew international criticism, including from Turkey, which described the interception as “an act of piracy.”

The incident adds to ongoing diplomatic tensions surrounding Gaza-bound aid efforts and maritime restrictions in the region.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada