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Israel Releases Two South Koreans Seized Aboard Gaza Aid Flotilla
(MENAFN) South Korea confirmed Thursday that Israel has released two of its nationals detained earlier this week after their vessels, part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud aid flotilla, were seized by Israeli forces.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung welcomed the freeing of activists Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon, according to a South Korean news agency.
The Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla disclosed Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been intercepted and seized by Israel. Kim Ah-hyun, along with Korean-American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, had been aboard the Lina Al Nabulsi, while Kim Dong-hyeon was on the Kyriakos X at the time of the detentions.
The seizures triggered an immediate diplomatic response from Seoul. On Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned Israel's detention of the two activists and directed officials to explore the possibility of seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a South Korean media report. President Lee also challenged the legal grounds for intercepting vessels transporting humanitarian aid, questioning whether they had entered Israeli territorial waters or breached any internationally recognized boundary.
The flotilla had set sail last Thursday from the Turkish district of Marmaris in a renewed bid to penetrate Israel's blockade on Gaza, in place since 2007. It was not the first time the convoy faced Israeli intervention — in late April, Israeli forces attacked flotilla boats in international waters off the Greek island of Crete. That convoy comprised 345 participants from 39 countries, including Turkish nationals.
Israel has maintained a sweeping blockade over the Gaza Strip since 2007, a measure aid organizations say has pushed the territory's 2.4 million residents to the edge of famine. The Israeli military's offensive on Gaza, launched in October 2023, has killed more than 72,000 people and wounded over 172,000, leaving vast destruction across the besieged enclave.
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