The Israeli Navy on Monday began to intercept the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, just weeks after a previous flotilla was thwarted and two of its activists were detained.
More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their journey to Gaza’s shores.
It is reported that Sri Lankan participant Sameera Mahboobdeen is part of the fleet, and her fate is unknown.
Naval commandos boarded the first of Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessels at sea off the coast of Cyprus, a livestream showed on Monday, which then abruptly ended.
By noon, six vessels had been intercepted.
“Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and (Israeli) forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said on X.
“We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission.”
Turkey condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla, stating it “constitutes a new act of piracy.”
“Israel must immediately cease its intervention and unconditionally release the detained flotilla participants,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said, adding that “the process is being closely monitored in cooperation with other countries.”
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that his country’s embassies in Israel, Turkey, and Cyprus have asked Israel to ensure the safety of the Italian citizens on the flotilla.
Earlier, Israel warned the “participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately.”
“Once again, a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called ‘humanitarian aid flotilla’ with no humanitarian aid,” the Foreign Ministry posted on X. The Israeli military declined to comment on the ongoing operation.
Israel has previously dismissed the flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amount of symbolic aid they had been carrying with them to Israel or international organizations to be taken into the Strip and distributed via official channels.
The Global Sumud Flotilla will be the third initiative in a year aiming at breaking an Israeli blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, which has suffered severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel since the Palestinian terror group invaded Israel in October 2023, sparking two years of war in the coastal enclave.
The flotilla is being led by Turkish aid organization IHH, which is designated in Israel as a terror organization and which organized the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza.
Israeli forces intercepted the second flotilla in international waters off Greece on April 30 and sent most of the 175 activists to Europe, but arrested two of them, who were held for 10 days before being deported.
Organizers said the latest efforts involve a regrouped fleet following Israel’s interception, joined by additional boats. Nearly 500 activists from 45 countries are said to be taking part.
Previous efforts to breach the blockade have also failed. The last time an activist boat succeeded in reaching the strip was in 2008. (Newswire/ Times of Israel)
The Israeli Navy has begun to intercept the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel's naval blockade. pic.twitter.com/YXeSwxPDOd
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