UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza protected by a Spanish military vessel poses no threat to anyone, including Israel, Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Reuters on Thursday.
In an interview, Albares added that Spain had accepted Belgium’s request to assist Belgian citizens on board the flotilla if needed, and was holding conversations with Ireland on the same subject.
“The mandate of the mission is very clear. We are having many incidents with this flotilla and this ship is there to provide assistance to the Spanish, now also to the Belgian citizens and we are talking with other European colleagues enquiring as to whether we can do the same thing,” he said.
He added that the mandate of the aid flotilla was also clear: “We are talking about a peaceful humanitarian flotilla … that is no threat to anyone, no threat for Israel.”
Its single objective is “that humanitarian assistance can be accessed by the people of Gaza,” he added.
“I don’t see why anyone would object or want to harm them,” Albares said.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Aislinn Laing, Aidan Lewis)
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