'We strongly condemn unlawfully seized the carrying humanitarian aid ship by the armed forces of Israel'

‘We strongly condemn unlawfully seized the carrying humanitarian aid ship by the armed forces of Israel’

Kathmandu, 30 July 2025. Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal (RCPN) has issued a press statement and has strongly condemned unlawfully seized the carrying humanitarian aid ship for the war-affected Palestinian people by the armed forces of Israel . Acting general secretary of RCPN Com. Gaurav has mentioned in the statement, “We strongly condemn these actions by Israel and demand the immediate and unconditional release of everyone in detention. We call for the respect of their rights and insist that they be allowed to reach the Palestinian people. Furthermore, we urge the governments of the 12 countries involved—Australia, France, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel to ensure the safety and release of their citizens as soon as possible.”

The full text of the statement is as following:

” Press Statement

Kathmandu, 30 July 2025.

We are deeply concerned about the recent actions taken by the armed forces of Israel. On 25 July 2025, they unlawfully seized the ship Handala, which was carrying humanitarian aid for the war-affected Palestinian people. Along with the ship’s seizure, 19 volunteers and 2 journalists from 12 different countries, including Hatem Laouini, the deputy chief coordinator of ICOR, were arrested in international waters, 40 nautical miles off the Israeli coast, while enroute to the Gaza Strip.

Following this incident, the Israeli authorities transferred all 21 individuals to an undisclosed location, where they were detained and interrogated. The authorities have pressured them to either choose voluntary deportation or remain in detention, effectively violating their rights to freedom of navigation and their right to provide aid to the people of Gaza, who are in urgent need.

We strongly condemn these actions by Israel and demand the immediate and unconditional release of everyone in detention. We call for the respect of their rights and insist that they be allowed to reach the Palestinian people. Furthermore, we urge the governments of the 12 countries involved—Australia, France, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel to ensure the safety and release of their citizens as soon as possible.

We express our unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian people’s struggle for a sovereign and independent state of Palestine. We demand an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestine and an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands. We honour the sacrifices made by the Palestinian people in their quest for sovereignty and independence against their oppressors. We believe that, ultimately, the Palestinian people will prevail in their just struggle against the Zionist regime, supported by U.S. imperialism and its allies.