Concerns Arise About Detained Australians Amid Protests Following Interception of Gaza Flotilla

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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is seeking to confirm whether Israeli authorities have detained Australians who were on board the intercepted Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said on Thursday that six Australians had been detained after the Israeli military intercepted their vessels about 70km from the enclave’s coastline. There were about 400 foreign activists across 40 vessels, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The move sparked snap pro-Palestinian protests worldwide, including in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday night.

An estimated 400 people descended on Sydney Town Hall at 5.30pm in a protest organised by Students for Palestine, Palestine Action Group, and the global Block Everything movement.

Police were called in after the “unauthorised” protest spilled onto the light rail tracks on George Street in what appeared to be an attempt to block traffic.

Video footage appeared to show police restraining several protesters on George Street, with some people pinned to the ground.

“There was minimal impact on pedestrian or road traffic in the area,” a NSW Police spokesperson told SBS News. “The group dispersed around 7.30pm, with no arrests made or any incidents of note.”

A similar snap rally, organised by Students for Palestine, was held in Melbourne CBD on Thursday.

Speakers on the steps of Flinders Street Station addressed a crowd of up to 200 people, with the protest briefly blocking traffic.

‘We need to be part of that in Australia’

Across Europe, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Dublin, Paris, Berlin and Geneva to condemn Israel’s interception of the flotilla. Rallies also took place in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Karachi.

Protesters in Naples, Italy, marched on train tracks after they opened the gates of the Piazza Garibaldi station. In Milan, they lit flares while marching on the tracks.

In the German capital Berlin, protesters swarmed the Berlin Central Station and chanted slogans including “Free Palestine”.

In Istanbul, Türkiye, protesters gathered outside the Israeli consulate, while in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, people gathered in support of politician and activist Celeste Fierro, who was aboard one of the vessels.

Protest organisers in Australia said they were calling on the federal government to sanction Israel, defend the flotilla, and end the siege on Gaza.

“[The Australian government] needs to sanction the Israeli government and stop the diplomatic support,” one organiser of the Melbourne rally, Alec, told SBS News. “To fight for the right of the activists to not be locked up against international law.”

Organisers of the Sydney event said their protest was part of the “global movement to block everything”.

“Protests are breaking out now all around the world … and we need to be part of that in Australia too,” they said in an Instagram reel.

Activist says they haven’t heard from Australian on board

Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats, verified by the Reuters news agency, showed armed Israeli soldiers sporting helmets and night vision goggles boarding the ships, while passengers huddled together in life vests with their hands up.

Tan Safi, an Australian aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in July, which was intercepted by Israel, said they hadn’t heard from another Australian on board after the boat was intercepted.

“We were sending each other little check-ins, little emojis, making sure he was OK … then he sent me a video of the Israeli military approaching them, water cannoning them with chemicals, shining lights in their eyes, and their hands were up in the air,” Safi told RN Breakfast on Friday morning.

“That was the last I heard of him. So that was roughly 14 to 16 hours ago now.”

The organiser of the voyage said an estimated 443 volunteers had been detained, some of whom were transferred to a large cargo vessel before being taken ashore.

“All the passengers are safe and in good health. They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe,” the Israeli foreign ministry said on X.

Just one boat, the Marinette, was “still sailing strong”, flotilla organisers said on a live video stream that showed the crew piloting the boat.

Israeli officials have warned: “If it approaches, its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented.”

DFAT liaising with Israeli authorities

A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told SBS News Australian officials in Tel Aviv were liaising with Israeli authorities and had formally requested confirmation of the detention of any Australians, as well as early consular access.

“Australia calls on all parties to respect international law, to ensure the safety and humane treatment of those involved,” the DFAT spokesperson said.

“We understand that people want to help deliver aid to those suffering in Gaza — we also want to see critical aid delivered.”

“For some time, we have warned against attempts to breach the naval blockade and strongly advised Australians not to do so because of the risks to their safety,” the DFAT spokesperson said.

“We repeat our call on Israel to enable the sustained, unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

— With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press and Reuters