The Israeli military on Wednesday attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying aid to Gaza, and arrested around 200 people, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmed.
According to a spokesperson for the flotilla, the Israeli forces have detained over 200 individuals from 37 countries. They include 30 from Spain, 22 from Italy, 21 from Turkey, and 12 from Malaysia.
The spokesperson stated that despite the arrests, the group’s mission continues. Ships are still en route through the Mediterranean Sea, attempting to break the blockade of Gaza. “We have around 30 ships that are still trying to reach the shores of Gaza while avoiding the military vessels of the occupying forces,” they said.
Earlier, according to a report by the Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, live footage from one of the flotilla’s ships, Alma, showed members of the flotilla waiting for intervention. Human rights activists on board Alma were seen wearing life jackets.
ISRAEL STOPS 39 AID BOATS
Israeli forces have intercepted 39 boats carrying aid and foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, to Gaza, leaving only one vessel still sailing towards the Palestinian enclave, the flotilla organisers said on Thursday.
Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats, verified by Reuters, showed Israeli soldiers sporting helmets and night vision goggles boarding the ships, while passengers huddled together in life vests with their hands up.
Israeli forces boarded boats and took them to an Israeli port on Wednesday, disrupting a protest that had become one of the most high-profile symbols of opposition to Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
A video from the Israeli foreign ministry verified by Reuters showed the most prominent of the flotilla’s passengers, Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers.
“Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port,” the Israeli foreign ministry said on X. “Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying medicine and food to Gaza, consisted of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists.
The flotilla put out several videos on Telegram with messages from individuals aboard the various boats, some holding their passports and claiming they were abducted and taken to Israel against their will, and reiterating that their mission was a non-violent humanitarian cause.
Its progress across the Mediterranean Sea had garnered international attention as nations including Turkey, Spain and Italy sent boats or drones in case their nationals required assistance.
Turkey’s foreign ministry called Israel’s “attack” on the flotilla “an act of terror” that endangered the lives of innocent civilians, and spontaneous protests broke out across Italy in response to the Israeli raid.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the expulsion of Israel’s entire diplomatic delegation on Wednesday following the detention of two Colombians in the flotilla. Israel has not had an ambassador in Colombia since last year.
Petro called the detentions a potential “new international crime” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded the release of the Colombians. He also terminated Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla, adding Israeli forces had detained eight Malaysians.
“By blocking a humanitarian mission, Israel has shown utter contempt not only for the rights of the Palestinian people but also for the conscience of the world,” Anwar, whose country is predominantly Muslim, said in a statement.
Israel’s interception of the flotilla sparked protests in Italy and Colombia. Italian unions called a general strike for Friday in solidarity with the international aid flotilla.
Israel’s navy had previously warned the flotilla it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked them to change course. It had offered to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.
BOATS INTERCEPTED INSIDE ZONE ISRAEL POLICES
The flotilla is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war.
The flotilla’s organisers denounced Wednesday’s raid as a “war crime.” They said the military used aggressive tactics, including the use of water cannon but that no one was harmed.
“Multiple vessels … were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” the organisers said in a statement. Ankara said that steps had begun for Israel to release Turks and others on board, while Spain called on Israel to protect the safety and rights of activists.
The flotilla also accused the Israeli navy of trying to sink the Maria Cristina boat. Reuters was not able to confirm the account independently. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the claim.
“Tonight’s reports are very concerning. This is a peaceful mission to shine a light on a horrific humanitarian catastrophe,” Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Harris said on X.
The boats were about 70 nautical miles off the war-ravaged enclave when they were intercepted, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching. The organisers said their communications had been scrambled, including the use of a live camera feed from some of the boats.
The flotilla said in a post on Telegram early on Thursday that another vessel, Adara, had been boarded by Israeli forces, and that the status of those on board was unconfirmed.
According to the flotilla’s own ship tracking data, a total of nine boats had been intercepted or stopped. Organisers have remained defiant, saying in a statement that the flotilla “will continue undeterred”.
Israel’s navy had previously warned the flotilla that it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked them to change course. It had offered to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.
TRYING TO BREAK THE BLOCKADE
The flotilla is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war.
The flotilla had hoped to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted. This was the second time the flotilla was approached on Wednesday. Before dawn, the mission’s organisers said two Israeli “warships” had encircled two of the flotilla’s boats and scrambled its communications.
Last week the flotilla was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas militants in the coastal enclave.
Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs, but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also followed the boats.
Italy and Greece on Wednesday, jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over its aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza – a plea the flotilla has previously rejected.
Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt. “This systematic refusal (to hand over the aid) demonstrates that the objective is not humanitarian, but provocative,” Jonathan Peled, the Israeli ambassador to Italy, said in a post on X.
PAST ATTEMPTS TO DELIVER AID
At a press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla would be a “violation of international law,” since Israel had no legal jurisdiction over waters off Gaza.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.
In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.
Israel began its Gaza offensive after the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive has killed over 65,000 people in Gaza, Gaza health authorities say.
