Israel Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla and Begins Deportation of Hundreds of International Activists

The Israeli navy commenced intercepting the flotilla vessels on Wednesday.

Israel deported four Italian activists on Friday, the initial group from hundreds detained from an aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza, following the interception of the mission's final boat.

The Global Sumud Flotilla launched last month, carrying politicians and activists, including Swedish environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, toward Gaza, where the United Nations has reported famine conditions.

Israeli naval forces began stopping the boats on Wednesday, and an Israeli official confirmed the following day that vessels carrying over 400 people had been prevented from reaching the Palestinian territory.

On Friday, the military announced that the navy had intercepted all 42 vessels in the fleet "in an operation that lasted approximately 12 hours," transferring flotilla participants to Israel's Ashdod Port for processing by authorities.

Israel's foreign ministry confirmed the deportation of four Italian activists from the flotilla, stating that "the rest are in the process of being deported."

Israeli police reported that "more than 470 flotilla participants were taken into custody by the military police, subjected to rigorous screening, and transferred to the prison administration."

Officials previously stated that none of the vessels had breached Gaza's maritime blockade.

According to the flotilla's organizers on Telegram, "Marinette, the last remaining boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla, was intercepted at 10:29 am (0729 GMT) local time, approximately 42.5 nautical miles from Gaza."

They further claimed that Israeli naval forces had "illegally intercepted all 42 of our vessels -- each carrying humanitarian aid, volunteers, and the determination to break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza."

More than 20 journalists were among those detained, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), including reporters from Spain's El Pais, Qatar's Al Jazeera, and Italy's public broadcaster RAI.

"Arresting journalists and preventing them from doing their work is a serious violation of the right to inform and be informed," stated Martin Roux, head of RSF's crisis desk.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's deportation decision on social platform X, calling it "a mistake."

"I think they must be kept here in an Israeli prison for a few months, so they can smell the scent of the terrorists' (prison) ward," Ben Gvir wrote.

The interception of the final vessel coincided with a general strike across Italy in solidarity with the flotilla, disrupting train services and port operations.

Worldwide protests erupted Thursday, including in Barcelona, where the flotilla began its journey, with approximately 15,000 people marching and chanting slogans such as "Gaza, you are not alone," "Boycott Israel," and "Freedom for Palestine."

Israel has labeled some participants, including Thunberg, as antisemitic, while Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the navy's interception efforts.

"I commend the soldiers and commanders of the navy who carried out their mission on Yom Kippur in the most professional and efficient manner," he stated Thursday.

"Their important action prevented dozens of vessels from entering the war zone and repelled a campaign of delegitimisation against Israel."

The ongoing Gaza conflict was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

That attack resulted in 1,219 deaths, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's military response has since killed 66,288 Palestinians in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.