700+ in India urge UK to act on detained Gaza aid activists, hold Israel accountable

By A Representative

Over 700 activists and concerned citizens from across India have written to the British High Commission, demanding the immediate release of eight detained activists aboard the humanitarian aid vessel Madleen, which was intercepted by Israeli forces on 9 June in international waters. The letter, delivered to UK diplomatic offices in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Goa, calls on the United Kingdom to take urgent diplomatic and legal action against Israel for what it calls “genocidal war crimes” and violations of international law in Gaza.

The petition was initiated by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), a countrywide coalition of grassroots organizations, and endorsed by individuals and groups committed to justice, peace, and human rights. The signatories condemned what they termed the illegal seizure of Madleen, a UK-flagged civilian vessel carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, and the abduction of its international crew, including prominent human rights defenders.

According to the letter, Madleen was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and was transporting life-saving aid—baby formula, food and medical supplies—to a besieged Gaza facing what the petitioners describe as forced starvation under Israel’s blockade. The letter asserts that the United Kingdom, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, has a legal and diplomatic responsibility to intervene on behalf of the UK-flagged vessel and its crew.

The signatories demand six key actions from the British government: the immediate and dignified release of the eight detained activists, recovery of the ship and its cargo, support for international legal proceedings against those responsible for war crimes, lifting of the blockade, decisive diplomatic measures against Israel’s impunity, and protection for future humanitarian missions through EU naval escorts.

The detained include elected MEP Rima Hassan, whose diplomatic immunity the petitioners say must be upheld. Four other activists were reportedly deported and prevented from continuing their peaceful mission, which the letter says was aimed solely at breaking the siege and delivering aid.

The petition also supports the Hind Rajab Foundation’s complaint calling for a UK-based criminal investigation into Shayetet 13 and senior Israeli commanders implicated not only in the Madleen operation but also in earlier attacks on humanitarian flotillas, including the Conscience and Mavi Marmara.

The letter strongly criticizes the UK’s inaction and complicity, urging it to take a stand consistent with its commitments under international law and human rights frameworks. “The UK cannot continue to remain a silent bystander or passive enabler of the horrors unfolding in Gaza,” the letter states. It calls the use of starvation and the targeting of aid centres a “heinous war tactic” and demands international accountability.

NAPM and the other signatories urge the British High Commission in India, as well as its counterpart in Tel Aviv, to act decisively and urgently to secure the release of the activists, facilitate the aid mission, and hold Israel accountable for its crimes in Gaza.

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