Another flotilla intercepted, 200 kilometers from Gaza; Dozens of activists were detained

The Israeli army detained dozens of activists on board, the organizers of the flotilla and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

The ministry said 145 activists, who are in good health, have been brought ashore in Israel for processing and are expected to be deported soon.

The interception comes after nearly 450 activists, including MEPs and climate activist Greta Thunberg, were intercepted last week on more than 40 boats trying to reach Gaza with a token amount of humanitarian aid.

AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia

That interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla drew widespread condemnation and sparked major protests in several major cities and a one-day strike across Italy.

Organizers of the latest group of nine ships - made up of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and One Thousand Madeleines for Gaza - condemned Wednesday's arrests as "arbitrary and illegal".

Among the activists on board were doctors, politicians and three Turkish MPs. The flotilla was carrying food and medical aid destined for hospitals in Gaza.

AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia

"Another futile attempt to violate the legal naval blockade and enter the combat zone ended in failure," the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on X.

Organizers said the boats were intercepted about 120 nautical miles (around 200 kilometers) off the coast of Gaza. In footage released by the organizers, fast Israeli naval vessels can be seen approaching the flotilla before soldiers boarded the ships. There were no reports of injuries.

Some of the activists deported last week from a similar flotilla described being mistreated by Israeli guards — allegations Israel denies.

The Gaza flotillas come amid mounting criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where its offensive in the war against Hamas has devastated large parts of the territory and killed tens of thousands of people.

Israel and Hamas are currently engaged in the third day of indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, alongside senior officials from international delegations including the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

The war began with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Militants killed about 1,200 people that day and took 251 hostages. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza — around 20 are believed to be alive.

More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent campaign, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and widely regarded by experts as the most reliable source for casualty figures, said women and children make up about half of the dead.

Israel has maintained varying degrees of blockade over the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized control of the coastal enclave in 2007, saying it is necessary to contain the militant group. Critics condemn the policy as a form of collective punishment.

After the war began, Israel tightened the blockade but later eased restrictions under U.S. pressure. In March, it sealed off the territory entirely for food, medicine, and other supplies for two and a half months — worsening Gaza’s slide into famine.

The flotillas say their goal is to break Israel’s blockade and establish a humanitarian sea corridor, given the limited aid reaching Gaza by land.