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Date Published: 15/05/2024

Cargo ship docks in Cartagena carrying arms possibly destined for Israel

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More than 35,000 people, including 15,000 children, have been killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict so far

Cargo ship docks in Cartagena carrying arms possibly destined for Israel

The cargo ship ‘Borkum’, which is scheduled to dock in the port of Cartagena, Spain, today, Wednesday May 15, has been said to be carrying a significant shipment of arms that are purported to be bound for the port of Ashdod, in Israel.

The Red Solidaria Contra la Ocupación de Palestina (Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine or RESCOP) affirmed that, according to the identification codes of each container specified in the documentation obtained by the Campaign to End Arms Trade with Israel, this ship contains 20 tons of rocket motors, 12.5 tons of rockets with explosive charge, 1,500kg of explosive substances and 740kg of propellant charges for cannons.

They have demanded that the Government stop the ship upon arrival in Cartagena, inspect it and prevent it from carrying on towards Israel, where the shipment would be used against Gaza.

Related story: Spain determined to recognise Palestinian state in 2024

However, the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, has stated that the next destination of the ship is not Israel but Slovenia.

He did underscore, in the same breath, that this “is not official information” and added that it is the central government of Spain and its Ports Authority who have the power to stop the ship, if it were needed.

In addition, he said, “The port of Cartagena does not have the necessary facilities to unload the material and containers it is carrying.”

RESCOP said in a statement on Tuesday, “Allowing a ship loaded with weapons whose final destination is Israel is allowing the transit of weapons to a country currently investigated for genocide against the Palestinian people and responsible for very serious human rights violations. Today it is estimated that more than 35,000 people, including more than 15,000 children, have been murdered. Even the US has recognised that it is ‘reasonable to assess that Israel has violated international law in Gaza’.”

Parliamentary group Sumar has asked the Spanish Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Defence this Wednesday what they have done to prevent the arrival of the cargo ship Borkum to the port of Cartagena, knowing that this could mean a breach of the Arms Trade Treaty and a violation of the ruling of the International Criminal Court on the prevention of genocide.

The regional arm of the party in Murcia have further stated that the ship must have a bill of lading and export licence ready to show in Cartagena and be able to determine whether the arms could be used in acts of genocide, i.e. against the civilian population in Gaza.

“If so, the Port Authority and the Judicial Authority, with the opinion of the ICC in hand, should detain the ship and as a preventive measure to avoid genocide,” they said in a statement.

Image: Pro-Palestine demonstration in Spain, March 2024 | ogfoto@yahoo.es

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