The Israeli military intercepted in international waters yet another Gaza-bound flotilla attempting to deliver aid to the war-ravaged territory on Wednesday and detained dozens of people on board.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international network of pro-Palestinian activist groups that set sail to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, said all nine of its boats were “attacked and illegally intercepted by the Israeli military”.
The boats were intercepted around 4.24am local time at about 120 nautical miles or 220km from the embattled Gaza Strip, the flotilla said.
“The unarmed crew abroad, including doctors, journalists and elected officials, have been abducted,” it said, adding that the boats were carrying vital aid worth over $110,000 (£82,150) in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies. “Their whereabouts remain unknown,” it said.
But Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement on X the flotilla’s vessels and passengers were safe, had been transferred to an Israeli port, and were expected to be deported promptly. “Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing,” the ministry said.
The incident was the second such event in recent days, after Israel intercepted about 40 vessels and detained more than 450 activists, including Greta Thunberg in an aid convoy, the Global Sumud Flotilla, that was also attempting to deliver supplies to Gaza.
The FFC said Israeli forces “hijacked the humanitarian fleet”, adding that the “ships were illegally intercepted … participants – humanitarians, doctors and journalists from across the world – have been taken against their will and are being held in unknown conditions”.
“The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters,” it said. “Our flotilla poses no harm.”
In an earlier post, the flotilla said one of its boats, “The Conscience”, carrying 92 people, mostly journalists and healthcare workers, was “attacked by an Israeli military helicopter”.
