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| 2026-05-20 18:00:57
president-Israel
Lee criticizes Israel's seizure of Gaza-bound aid ships carrying S. Koreans
SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday criticized Israel's seizure of humanitarian aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip carrying aid workers, including South Korean nationals, accusing the country of violating international regulations.
Lee voiced the criticism at a Cabinet meeting after a civic group said the Lina Al Nabulsi, carrying South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun and Korean American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, was intercepted by the Israeli military in waters near the Gaza Strip at 2:50 a.m. Wednesday.
The capture came two days after Israeli forces seized another aid boat, the Kyriakos X, which was carrying South Korean activist Kim Dong-hyeon, among other activists from around the world.
Lee described the latest seizure as "inhumane and extreme," arguing that the location where the vessel was intercepted was not part of Israel's territorial waters.
"We have been patient too long ... (they) have gone too far," Lee said, questioning the legality of the seizure and instructing the government to address the issue "strictly by the rule."
Lee went on to ask whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to which National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac replied that it has. Lee then said this made Netanyahu "a war criminal."
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza, including starvation and murder.
The president also asked whether or not most European nations have announced they would arrest Netanyahu if he enters their territories, to which Wi noted not most of them but some may have.
Lee said he understood many have made such announcements, adding, "Let us make our own decision."
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