US Democrats calls on Israel to release American flotilla activists
(MENAFN) A group of California Democrats, led by Congressman Ro Khanna, has called on President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to push Israel to free Americans detained after the Israeli interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters last week.
In a letter addressed to Rubio, the lawmakers, which included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, noted that 21 US citizens “remain in Israeli detention,” among them Californians David Adler, Tommy Marcus, Geraldine Ramirez, and Logan Hollarsmith.
Adler, who serves as co-general coordinator of Progressive International, participated in the flotilla as part of a mission described by the lawmakers as a “non-violent mission to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.”
“We call on you to immediately do everything in your power to ensure the release of these U.S. citizens and to ensure their fair and safe treatment,” the letter stated. The lawmakers further urged, “We call on you to work for the immediate and safe release, including arranging the logistics of a plane to ensure their speedy recovery, of U.S. citizens who were on the flotilla and are still being held in Israeli prisons, including California residents.”
Israeli naval forces intercepted and seized vessels from the flotilla starting Wednesday, detaining more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The mission aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza while challenging Israel’s long-standing blockade of the territory.
Israel has maintained the blockade of Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million residents, for nearly 18 years. Since October 2023, Israeli military actions have reportedly killed over 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza, many of them women and children, leaving the enclave severely affected by widespread starvation and the spread of disease.
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