Israeli attacks on the ships carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists making its way towards the Gaza strip was a "massacre against humanity" and the international community should take action, Palestinian envoy to Malaysia Abdelaziz Aboughosh said.

He said that up till now 20 people had been killed and 50 injured, and that he expects the number to increase.

According to Aboughosh, although the ships were reported to be within international waters, the Israelis had already seized the ships and were now"dragging" them to an Israeli port.

"This is not the first time that Israel has done this. But I hope this will be the last. The world has the responsibility to punish Israel for this criminal act and Israel cannot be treated as if it is above the law," he told Bernama.

Aboughosh said there were three ships with some 700 on board from 40 countries including Malaysia and Indonesia and another three ships carrying aid like medicine, wheelchairs, food, construction materials and ready-made houses for the more than 100,000 Palestinians who were still living without any shelter on the Gaza strip.

Those on board the ships were civilians and the ships were merely carrying aid, he said.

There was nothing "military" at all on the ships, he emphasised.

Reports said that Israel wanted to maintain its blockade of the Gaza strip of 1.5 million people, fearing that arms supplies could reach Hamas by sea. It had previously halted activist ships although some others have reached Gaza before.

Aboughosh said that there was transparency when the ships were loaded in Athens and Istanbul. "There were no weapons in these ships," he stressed.

"We want the international community to take action against this massacre which we consider as an attack on humanity. These people are innocent civilians carrying aid to the Palestinians who have been under siege in Gaza for more than two years," he said.

He said that Palestine, which has declared a three-day mourning for the casualties, has already sought the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the United Nations Security Council to hold emergency meetings immediately on what had taken place.

According to the envoy, the European Union has already issued a statement asking for immediate investigation on what had taken place while countries like Sweden, Spain, Turkey and Greece have summoned the Israeli ambassadors.

Protests were also being held in front of the Israel embassy in Turkey, he added.

Meanwhile, Aboughosh hoped that the journalist and cameraman from Astro Awani who were on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara which was attacked by the Israeli soldiers were safe.

"I hope they are safe," he said.

During the 4am attacks (9am Malaysian time), the Israelis cut off all connections, he said when told that the station had not been able to contact journalist Ashwad Ismail, 25, and cameraman Shamsul Kamal Latip, 38, since 11am today.

- Bernama