Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 June (HL502 and HL503), what assessment they have made of the reports, on 29 June, that Israeli forces boarded and took control of a Swedish vessel in international waters on route to Gaza with humanitarian aid and with a number of European citizens on boards; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel about this.
Answered on
8 July 2015
Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have been in close contact with the Israeli authorities regarding this flotilla and in particular the Marianne of Gothenburg. We are pleased that Israel performed its intended action to maintain its maritime restrictions peacefully. The Israeli authorities informed us that there were no British nationals on board the Marianne. Nationals from other Commonwealth countries were present and we offered consular assistance for unrepresented New Zealand nationals.