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<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 30 Apr 202630 Apr 2026<\/p>\n
Reporters without Borders (known by its French acronym RSF) has condemned Israel for \u201ckidnapping\u201d three journalists on board the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which Israel intercepted<\/a> while it was travelling in international waters.<\/p>\n In a post on social media Thursday, RSF said it \u201ccondemns the kidnapping in international waters by the Israeli army\u201d of French correspondent Hafed Mribah and Turkish cameraman Mahmut Yavuz, who both work for Al Jazeera, and journalist Alex Colston, who works for US media outlet Zeteo.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael is responsible for their safety,\u201d said RSF.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera expressed \u201cits deep concern for the safety\u201d of its journalists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Network holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for the safety of its colleagues Hafedh and Mahmut, and calls on the international community to take a unified stance against Israel\u2019s repeated violations of international law and conventions,\u201d it said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera, which said it lost contact with its team on board the flotilla, \u201creaffirms its commitment to press freedom and calls for the protection of all journalists, and for enabling them to carry out their duties freely and without obstruction\u201d, concluded the statement.<\/p>\n Organisers said Israel intercepted 22 of 58 vessels that were bound for Gaza late on Wednesday in international waters off Greece\u2019s Peloponnese Peninsula, hundreds of miles from the Palestinian coastline.<\/p>\n The organisers said 211 people were detained, and Israel said it would transport detainees to Greece.<\/p>\n Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused Israel of \u201conce again violating international law by attacking a civilian flotilla in waters that do not belong to it\u201d, urging the European Union to freeze bilateral ties.<\/p>\n Following Israel\u2019s interception of a previous Gaza-bound aid flotilla in October, some activists<\/a> who were detained alleged that Israeli authorities subjected them to physical and mental abuse, including beatings, forced kneeling, blindfolding and sleep deprivation.<\/p>\n Israel said accusations by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and the 170 other detained activists that they had been mistreated and denied basic rights while in detention were \u201cfake news\u201d.<\/p>\n