Israel seizes humanitarian ships near Gaza

Israeli naval forces attacked an international aid flotilla bound for the besieged Gaza Strip and detained activists on board, organizers said.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces surrounded the vessels as they sailed toward Gaza to challenge a years-long Israeli blockade. Activists reported signal jamming and communication cut aboard most of the boats, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

The official flotilla tracker showed 21 vessels attacked by the Israeli forces. Several activists posted videos on social media showing Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy and ordering them to change course.

“We are being attacked right now by the Zionist (Israeli) army,” the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) said on the US social media company X's platform.

“Some ships have already been intercepted, and a state of emergency has been declared aboard all vessels.

“High Alert. Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline, and vessels have been boarded by military personnel.”

The committee accused Israel of using violence against the activists, saying naval forces rammed one ship, deployed water cannons, and forcibly boarded vessels while “brutally mistreating peaceful detainees from 50 countries around the world.”

Organizers said 223 activists have been detained so far.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that some activists were detained and would be moved to an Israeli port.

The ministry said naval forces had reached the flotilla and ordered activists to divert to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel for inspection before aid could be transferred into Gaza.
Israel's Channel 13, citing sources, said the operation to seize the flotilla would continue until Thursday.

The aid flotilla reached less than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) from Gaza before being intercepted by the Israeli Navy.

Activists spotted more than 20 Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy, with the navy ordering them to change course.

A spokesman said the approaching Israeli boats were clearly moving to impose a blockade on the flotilla.

The interception came as the convoy already passed the point at which the Madleen and Handala ships were intercepted by Israel in June and July.

The remaining vessels continue their way to Gaza, as they are currently less than 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) away from the enclave.

Livestream footage from the flotilla showed activists donning life vests as the Israeli boats approached the vessels.

The Israeli raid came despite appeals by international organizations, including Amnesty International, for the protection of the aid flotilla. The UN also warned that any attack on the convoy would be unacceptable.

Israel, as the occupying power, has previously intercepted Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported activists on board.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that more than 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to a population of nearly 2.4 million, for almost 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.