Norway has asked Israel to explain the legal grounds for detaining a Norwegian-flagged fishing boat in Palestinian waters as activists aboard it were trying to sail with aid for the besieged Gaza Strip according to Reuters news agency.
Norway’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that its diplomats in Israel had been providing consular assistance for five Norwegians who were among the 22 passengers and crew detained onboard the vessel Kaarstein Sunday. Two Israelis on board were quickly released.
“We have asked the Israeli authorities to clarify the circumstances around the seizure of the vessel and the legal basis for the intervention” a spokesman for the Norwegian foreign affairs ministry in Oslo said.
Torstein Dahle head of the Norwegian group “Ship to Gaza” that organized the shipment said it was the first Norwegian aid vessel to attempt to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The captain had been struck on the head by Israeli soldiers who ordered him to sail for Israel but no one was seriously hurt Dahle said.
“This is a peaceful boat; it’s impossible that it can threaten Israel’s security” he affirmed.
