Israel Intercepts Nine-Vessel Flotilla Attempting to Break Gaza Naval Blockade, Detains 145 International Activists

Israeli soldier smashes the CCTV camera of "Gaza Sunbird", a Gaza-bound vessel.

Tel Aviv, Israel: The Israeli military intercepted a nine-boat flotilla early Wednesday in the Mediterranean Sea as it attempted to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. According to both the flotilla organizers and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, 145 activists aboard the vessels were detained.

Israeli officials confirmed that all detained activists were in good health and were being transported to shore for processing, with expectations of prompt deportation.

This interception follows a similar incident just last week when nearly 450 activists, including European lawmakers and climate activist Greta Thunberg, were intercepted on over 40 boats while attempting to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid. That earlier action against the Global Sumud Flotilla sparked significant international backlash, including large demonstrations across major cities and a one-day strike throughout Italy.

The most recent flotilla was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the Thousand Madleens to Gaza, who condemned Wednesday's detentions as "arbitrary and unlawful." The vessels carried doctors, politicians, and three Turkish lawmakers, along with food and medical supplies intended for Gaza hospitals.

Israel's Foreign Ministry characterized the attempt as futile, stating on social media platform X: "Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing. The vessels and the passengers are transferred to an Israeli port. All the passengers are safe and in good health. The passengers are expected to be deported promptly."

According to organizers, Israeli forces intercepted the boats approximately 120 nautical miles from Gaza's coastline. Footage released by the activists shows Israeli military vessels rapidly approaching the flotilla before troops boarded the ships. No injuries were reported during the operation.

Some activists from last week's interception have alleged mistreatment by Israeli authorities while in detention, claims that Israel has denied.

These maritime attempts to reach Gaza come amid intensifying criticism of Israel's military campaign, which has devastated large areas of the territory and resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties.

Concurrent with these maritime incidents, Israel and Hamas are engaged in their third day of indirect peace negotiations in Sharm Al-Sheikh, Egypt, with high-level representatives from the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey participating in the talks.

The ongoing conflict began following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 abductions. Currently, 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with approximately 20 believed to be alive.

Israel's military response has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties. The ministry, operating under the Hamas government but considered by experts to provide reliable estimates, reports that women and children constitute roughly half of the casualties.

Israel has maintained various levels of blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, justifying the measures as necessary security protocols to contain Hamas. Critics argue these policies amount to collective punishment of Gaza's civilian population.

Following the war's outbreak, Israel initially tightened the blockade before partially easing restrictions under American pressure. In March, it completely sealed the territory from all incoming food, medicine, and other essential supplies for two and a half months, contributing significantly to famine conditions in Gaza.

The flotilla organizers state their objective is to break Israel's blockade and establish a maritime humanitarian corridor, citing the inadequacy of land-based aid delivery systems to Gaza.