Indian port workers refuse to handle military cargo bound for Israel

The Water Transport Workers Federation of India declared its refusal to load or unload any “weaponized cargoes” intended for use in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

This includes any cargo coming from Israel “or any other country which could handle military equipment and its allied cargo for war in Palestine”.

“The recent attack of Israel on Gaza [has plunged] thousands of Palestinians into immense suffering and loss. Women and children have been blown to pieces in the war,” the union said in a statement dated 14 February.

“At this juncture, our [u]nion members have collectively decided to refuse handling all types of weaponized cargoes. Loading and unloading these weapons helps provide organizations with the ability to kill innocent people.”

The federation represents over 3,500 workers in 11 major ports across the country. The union has called for an immediate ceasefire, urging “workers of the world and peace-loving people to stand with the demand of free Palestine”.

The union’s president T Narendra Rao said to the Wire that workers “would not help load or unload anything that advances the cause of war.”

While Rao said that there have not been any reports of ships bound for Israel yet, there have been reports of the sale of over 20 Hermes 900 medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Israel from the country. The Hermes 900, which is one of four “killer drones” used by Israel, is manufactured at a facility of the Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Limited in the city of Hyderabad.

Adani Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, while Elbit Systems is an Israel-based military technology company. – Peoples Dispatch/Globetrotter News Service

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