Israeli forces have intercepted and detained crews from at least 22 boats belonging to a Gaza-bound aid flotilla near the Greek island of Crete. The convoy was attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian assistance.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, composed of around 58 vessels carrying activists from more than 70 countries, set sail from Italy on Sunday.
Organizers described the interception as a “violent raid,” accusing Israel of “abducting civilians in the middle of the Mediterranean, over 600 miles from Gaza, in full view of the world.”
According to Israel’s foreign ministry, the navy took control of more than 20 vessels carrying approximately 175 activists. The flotilla’s live tracker indicated that 22 boats had been intercepted so far, while 36 continued on course.
In footage released by the organizers, an Israeli navy officer can be heard instructing activists to change direction and head to Ashdod if they are carrying aid, stating that humanitarian supplies should be delivered through “recognized channels.”
The flotilla rejected the warning, calling the operation a “violent raid in international waters” and accusing Israeli forces of damaging vessels, disabling engines, and jamming communications. Israel did not respond to these claims.
In a social media statement, the group said Israeli forces left “hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels” in the path of an approaching storm.
Helene Coron, speaking for Global Sumud France, said those detained included French citizens, among them a Paris municipal councilor.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the flotilla had been organized in coordination with Hamas and allied groups, and announced sanctions against it.
Turkey condemned the interception as “an act of piracy,” while stating that Israel had violated international law and humanitarian principles.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese questioned the legality of the operation in international waters near Europe, calling it unacceptable.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also demanded the immediate release of Italian nationals involved, condemning their detention.
Israel later said the detained activists would be transferred to Greece in coordination with Greek authorities and insisted all participants were unharmed.
The incident follows a similar interception last October, when Israeli forces stopped around 40 flotilla vessels and detained more than 450 activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007, a measure the UN has criticized as violating international humanitarian law. The ongoing war in Gaza has caused severe shortages of essential supplies and resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, according to aid organizations.
