Statement by Dr. Kamel Mohanna, Regional Coordinator of the People’s Health Movement (PHM) for the Middle East and North Africa, regarding the abduction of Aziz Rhalli, Lina Tabbal, Mohammad Al-Kadri, and Rémy Pagani, former Mayor of Geneva, along with the activists of the Solidarity Flotilla
Dr. Kamel Mohanna, Coordinator of the People’s Health Movement (PHM) in the Middle East and North Africa and President of Amel Association International, strongly condemned the unlawful interception carried out by Israeli occupation forces against the humanitarian ship Deir Yassin and the other vessels of the Solidarity Flotilla bound for Gaza. He stressed that this act is not only a flagrant violation of international law, but also a blatant assault on the fundamental values upon which human civilization is built, and on the conscience of humanity which is supposed to safeguard human dignity.
This attack on civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid, led by activists whose only mission was to deliver a message of solidarity and peace, constitutes a grave breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the principle of free navigation, and the provisions of international humanitarian law which guarantee the protection of humanitarian missions and the civilians participating in them. It is also a wound to the universal human values that we have always affirmed as the last hope for peoples searching for justice and freedom in an increasingly harsh and unequal world.
Among those abducted during this assault is our comrade Aziz Rhalli, the Moroccan defender of the right to health, member of PHM, and President of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH). Rhalli has dedicated his life to defending human rights and health justice in Morocco, the Arab region, and globally, through his leadership roles in health coalitions locally and internationally. His abduction, along with others, during a humanitarian mission is not only an attack on him personally, but an attack on the very principles of solidarity, justice, and the legitimate right of peoples to resist all forms of oppression and aggression.
Since his abduction, Aziz Rhalli has declared a hunger strike in protest against his unlawful detention and to demand the immediate release of all flotilla participants. I express my profound concern for his health and safety, and for the conditions of all detainees, holding the Israeli authorities fully responsible for their lives. Their detention is arbitrary and unlawful, and must end immediately.
Aziz Rhalli, Lina Tabbal, Mohammad Al-Kadri, Rémy Pagani, former Mayor of Geneva, and all the heroic solidarity activists of the flotilla embody courage and moral strength, standing at the forefront of human solidarity with the Palestinian people. In this spirit, we also salute the Lebanese heroes who were abducted merely for defending the most basic human rights aboard this solidarity flotilla. Their courage is a reminder that the struggle for justice in Palestine is inseparable from the global struggle for human dignity and freedom.
The international community cannot remain silent in the face of this assault. I call upon the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, regional organizations, and all states to take urgent and decisive action to secure the immediate release of Aziz Rhalli and his companions, and to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations of international law. Failure to act will only encourage further assaults on humanitarian solidarity and deepen the erosion of international legal legitimacy. States that proclaim commitment to human rights must translate this commitment into action by exercising political, diplomatic, and legal pressure until justice is achieved.
I also issue an appeal to social and health movements, civil society organizations, and solidarity networks worldwide to step up mobilization and action. The abduction of Aziz Rhalli, Lina Tabbal, Mohammad Al-Kadri, Rémy Pagani, and their fellow activists is a stark reminder that the defense of human dignity and humanitarian solidarity is inseparable from the struggle for justice in Palestine.
Our demand is clear, urgent, and non-negotiable: freedom for Aziz Rhalli and all abducted activists, accountability for this unlawful act, and protection of the fundamental right to humanitarian solidarity. We will not relinquish our right to life and dignity, to the lifting of the siege on Gaza and the West Bank, and to the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.