Gaza, MINA – Israeli occupation naval forces attacked an international aid flotilla bound for the besieged Gaza Strip and detained more than 450 activists on board, organizers said Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Global Sumud Flotilla announced via Instagram that 42 boats were illegally intercepted by Israeli forces. “Their passengers unlawfully abducted. The world saw what happens when civilians challenge a siege. And still, Marinette sails on,” the statement read.
According to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG), the vessel Marinette continues its voyage toward Gaza despite earlier technical malfunctions that delayed its journey, though it remains far from the enclave.
The flotilla confirmed that over 450 activists from 47 countries were transferred to Israel’s southern Ashdod Port. The activists came from various nations, including Spain, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Greece, the US, Germany, Sweden, the UK, and France.
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The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the detained activists would be taken to Ashdod Port and later deported to Europe. Meanwhile, one vessel was reported to still be at sea, with Israel vowing to prevent it from approaching Gaza.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that naval forces had seized 41 vessels carrying about 400 participants in a 12-hour-long operation, towing them to Ashdod.
The ICBSG accused Israeli forces of using violence against the activists, ramming one ship, deploying water cannons, and forcibly boarding vessels while “brutally mistreating peaceful detainees from about 50 countries worldwide.”
The attack occurred despite appeals from international organizations, including Amnesty International, which urged protection for the flotilla. The UN also warned that any assault on the convoy would be unacceptable.
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The flotilla, carrying mainly humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It marked the first time in years that around 50 ships sailed together toward Gaza, carrying hundreds of civilian supporters.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years and tightened the siege further in March by closing border crossings and blocking food and medicine, pushing the enclave into famine.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 66,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that Gaza is becoming uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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