President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday called for the immediate repatriation of six Mexicans who were taken to Israel after Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla that was carrying aid bound for the war-torn Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, the Israeli Navy intercepted numerous boats that were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla and detained hundreds of people who were on board the vessels.

The Guardian reported that the flotilla consisted of “more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists” and was “heading towards Gaza bringing humanitarian aid despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back.”

The vessels, which departed from various Mediterranean ports, “were sailing in international waters north of Egypt on Wednesday afternoon when the interceptions began,” the Guardian reported.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on social media on Thursday that “none of the Hamas-Sumud provocation yachts” had “succeeded in its attempt to enter an active combat zone or breach the lawful naval blockade” off the coast of Gaza.

“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,” it said.

Sheinbaum said that six Mexicans who were traveling on vessels that were part of the flotilla were in Ashdod, a port city about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv.

She said that the Mexicans — three women and three men — hadn’t yet received consular assistance. Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) subsequently said on social media that officials from the Mexican Embassy in Israel had traveled to Ashdod to “directly verify the conditions on the ground, request consular access, and ensure that … [the] safety and integrity [of the Mexicans] is respected, in accordance with applicable international law.”

The SRE said that the six Mexicans and other “participants in the flotilla” would be taken to the Ktzi’ot detention center. The ministry said that another Mexican on board a legal support vessel was headed to Cyprus.

Sheinbaum had noted that Israeli authorities said that the Mexicans would be taken to a detention facility.

“… We’re obviously against this situation. Humanitarian aid has to reach Gaza, and our Mexican brothers and sisters — everyone — but in particular our compatriots have to be immediately repatriated because they didn’t commit any crime,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that her government had sent four diplomatic notes to Israel.

The first, sent three days ago, requested “physical guarantees for our compatriots,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that the second diplomatic note, sent on Tuesday, asked Israel to explain the grounds on which the Mexicans would be “intercepted,” if that indeed happened.

The third diplomatic note, sent after the flotilla was intercepted, demanded the “comprehensive physical safety of our compatriots,” while the fourth requested the “immediate repatriation” of the six Mexicans, she said.

“They’re detained in the port [of Ashdod], they haven’t yet taken them to the detention center. … There is no reason for them to be detained,” Sheinbaum said.

“They haven’t committed any crime and they should be handed over to Mexican authorities [in Israel] for their repatriation,” she said.

“And we demand for the humanitarian aid to arrive [in Gaza] and for this harassment against Gaza to stop,” Sheinbaum said.

The SRE said in a statement on Wednesday that the Mexicans had no purpose other than to “offer humanitarian aid.”

It said they are “peaceful” people without links to any “violent groups.”

People in Mexico affiliated with the flotilla released video messages from two Mexican women who were taken to Israel after the interception of aid-carrying vessels.

“Hello, my name is Arlín Medrano and if you are watching this video it’s because we were illegally intercepted in international waters by the Israeli occupation,” says Medrano as she holds up her Mexican passport.

Sol González Eguía conveyed a similar message in her video.

Mexico News Daily