Twenty-two out of 58 vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla were illegally intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near the Greek island of Crete as the flotilla was sailing to deliver aid to Gaza.
The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) have described the recent interception by Israel in the early hours of Thursday morning as an act of “piracy”.
The flotilla vessels were seized “unlawfully” around 965km (600 miles) from Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade.
“Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons, ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,” the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission said on Thursday.
According to the organisation’s Flotilla Tracker map, 36 of the boats are still sailing towards Gaza.
“Israeli military boats have illegally surrounded the flotilla in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence,” the flotilla said in a post on social media. “Governments must act now to protect the flotilla.”
The Israeli foreign ministry said that the 175 activists from the more than 20 boats had been detained and would be transported to Israel. They dismissed the flotilla’s efforts as a “PR stunt” and a “provocation without humanitarian aid.”
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Global Sumud Flotilla Spring mission
The most recent spring mission from the GSF set sail two weeks ago, with vessels joining from Spain, France, and Italy in the Mediterranean.
Statements released from the GSF said on Thursday that the Israeli naval forces had “intercepted vessels, jammed communications, including distress channels, and aggressively abducted civilians”.
Despite numerous human rights organisations denouncing the interception as illegal under international law, Israel maintains otherwise, stating that its actions comply with international law.
“The driving force behind the flotilla provocation is Hamas — joining hands with professional provocateurs — with the aim of sabotaging President Trump’s [Gaza] peace plan transition to its second phase and intended to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm,” Israel alleged.
Illegal seizure of vessels
A spokesperson for the GSF described the boarding of Israeli soldiers onto its vessels as “a straight-up attack on unarmed civilian boats in international waters.”
“This is illegal under international law. Israel has no jurisdiction in these waters. Boarding these boats amounts to illegal detention – potentially kidnapping on the high seas,” said Guy Tsabar, a previous flotilla member.
According to members onboard the current flotilla, the Israeli operation unfolded over several hours whilst the boats were en route to Crete in international waters.
The rest of the flotilla vessels are estimated to be about 600 nautical miles from Gaza (1,111 km), while the previous furthest interception by Israel of an aid flotilla was 72 nautical miles (133km) from Palestinian territory.
Last October, Israel’s military intercepted around 40 boats from the GSF’s previous mission as they were carrying aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. They arrested over 450 participants, including the grandson of South African leader Nelson Mandela, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, among others.
Many activists who were detained and taken to Israel last year alleged severe physical and psychological abuse while in Israeli custody.
Israel later deported the activists from Israel in various waves, sending them back to their countries of origin.
