Original article: Israel secuestra a cuatro chilenos en flotilla humanitaria rumbo a Gaza y emplazan a Cancillería a actuar de inmediato

Israel Detains Four Chileans from Humanitarian Flotilla Heading to Gaza, Urging Immediate Action from Chilean Foreign Ministry

The situation concerning the Chileans aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza has intensified in recent hours. What was initially reported as the interception of the vessel carrying Carolina Eltit and the loss of contact with the boat of Víctor Chanfreau has now been updated by the Chilean-Palestinian Parliamentary Committee in the Senate: four Chilean citizens have been detained by Israeli forces in international waters.

According to the public statement issued by the committee, the affected compatriots are Víctor Chanfreau, Carolina Eltit, Claudio Caiozzi, and Ignacio Ladrón de Guevara. The latter was traveling with a Spanish passport and was part of the Spanish delegation, “without prejudice to his Chilean nationality,” the statement clarified.

As per the available information so far, the four individuals are presumed to be in the same condition following the attack on the vessels, with no official information on their whereabouts or the location to which they were taken.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had resumed its course from the Turkish port of Marmaris along with 54 boats and nearly 500 participants, aiming to deliver food, medical supplies, and basic aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza, which is under an Israeli blockade.

Chilean Citizens Detained by Israel: Urgent Demands on the Foreign Ministry

The Chilean-Palestinian Parliamentary Committee expressed its «strongest condemnation» and «deep concern» regarding the interception of the civil humanitarian mission by Israeli forces in international Mediterranean waters, approximately 463 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.

The distinction is significant. To put it simply, this is not about a vessel detained in an Israeli port or within territorial waters under Israel’s direct control. The complaint points to an action carried out in international waters, against a civil and humanitarian mission, which raises a highly serious political and legal conflict.

This is why the committee has called directly on the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and demanded that they “prioritize all diplomatic efforts with the State of Israel and relevant international agencies, to establish the whereabouts and condition of the four Chilean citizens, ensure their integrity, and seek their prompt release and safe return.”

In other words: a mere statement of concern is not enough. The demand is for the Foreign Ministry to activate consular channels, request official information, apply diplomatic pressure, and provide certainty regarding the status of the detained Chileans.

«We Cannot Tolerate» Pro Forma Responses

The Palestinian Community in Chile also raised its tone regarding the situation. Its president, Maurice Khamis Massú, called for immediate and firm action from the Chilean government.

“We demand that the Government of Chile take immediate, firm, and decisive diplomatic action to achieve the release and safe return of our compatriots. We cannot tolerate that Chilean citizens traveling on an absolutely civil and peaceful mission are illegally detained in international waters. Merely declarative or pro forma responses are already insufficient given the level of danger they are exposed to,” he stated.

This statement addresses the heart of the issue: the difference between condemning the events and acting urgently. For the Palestinian organizations and parliamentary members who have reacted to the case, the Chilean state must move from words to concrete actions in response to Israel.

In the same vein, Sergio Gahona, president of the Chilean-Palestinian Parliamentary Committee in the Senate, stated: “We strongly condemn this act of force against a peaceful mission. We are facing a blatant violation of international law in international waters. We demand the government to immediately activate all consular and diplomatic mechanisms to ascertain the exact whereabouts of our compatriots, verify their health status, and ensure the physical integrity of the affected citizens.”

Political Pressure Mounts on the Chilean Government

The vice president of the committee, Diego Ibáñez, also called on the Foreign Ministry to act unequivocally. “We cannot stand idly by while Chilean citizens are illegally intercepted in international waters. The Foreign Ministry must act with utmost urgency and activate all mechanisms of international pressure. We demand decisive actions to stop this abuse, without ambiguity, and ensure that our compatriots, who actively show solidarity with Palestine, can return safe and sound to our country,” he maintained.

With these statements, the case shifts from merely a humanitarian complaint to a test for Chile’s foreign policy. When national citizens are detained, cut off from communication, or transferred by foreign forces in international waters, the government has a political obligation to demand information, protect their integrity, and activate all available diplomatic mechanisms.

A Civil Mission Under Attack

The Palestinian Information Center condemned the kidnapping of Chilean activists by Israeli forces and stated that the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters constitutes “a serious violation of international law.”

The organization recalled that among the participants of the mission were civilians, journalists, artists, and human rights defenders from 45 countries. It also noted that the capture of the activists comes after weeks of a campaign of criminalization led by Israel and Zionist movement actors against this humanitarian mission.

The most serious historical precedent remains the attack on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, when Israeli commandos killed ten humanitarian activists during a civil mission in international waters. Fifteen years later, the complaint again highlights the same core issue: Israeli actions against civilian vessels attempting to bring aid to Gaza.

The outcome of this latest escalation now rests in the hands of the Chilean state. Available information indicates four compatriots are kidnapped in international waters: Víctor Chanfreau, Carolina Eltit, Claudio Caiozzi, and Ignacio Ladrón de Guevara.

The Foreign Ministry must act immediately to establish their whereabouts, verify their health status, ensure their physical and psychological integrity, and demand their prompt release. In a case of this gravity, pro forma responses will not suffice.