Gaza aid flotilla vessels taken to Crete after Israeli interception

Israel’s subject reportedly seized 22 vessels sailing among the Global Sumud Flotilla.

More than ‌160 activists connected committee assistance ships forming a flotilla bound for Gaza person been taken to the Greek ⁠island of Crete ⁠after Israeli forces seized their vessels successful planetary waters adjacent Greece earlier this week, Freedom Flotilla organisers person said.

The organisers told the Reuters quality bureau connected Friday that 168 members of the flotilla unit had been taken to Crete portion 2 activists remained with Israeli authorities.

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According to the group’s tracker, 22 boats person been intercepted truthful acold by Israel, portion 47 others are inactive sailing.

On Wednesday, Israeli subject forces intercepted the boats travelling with the Global Sumud Flotilla from Barcelona successful Spain, utilizing drones, communications jamming technology, and equipped raiding parties to halt the humanitarian fleet successful the mediate of the Mediterranean arsenic it headed to Gaza, according to organisers and Israeli media.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the activists connected the intercepted boats would beryllium taken to Greece.

On Friday, an Israeli service vessel transferred 168 members of the flotilla unit to Greek boats, which past took them to Crete, wherever buses and an ambulance car waited for them, organisers said and Reuters footage showed.

A root who asked not to beryllium identified besides told Reuters that the remaining 47 boats astatine oversea were inactive sailing disconnected confederate Crete and planned to anchor determination astatine immoderate constituent earlier continuing onwards to Gaza.

Each vessel is carrying astir a tonne of food, aesculapian supplies and different equipment, the root added.

Security camera footage shows unit members of the flotilla that sailed from the Spanish larboard of Barcelona, carrying humanitarian assistance to Palestinians successful Gaza, rise their arms arsenic the vas is said to beryllium intercepted by the Israeli service disconnected the seashore of Greece, April 30, 2026 [Handout/Global Sumud Flotilla via Reuters]

‘A straight-up attack’

In an interview with Al Jazeera connected Wednesday, Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, described Israel’s boarding of its vessels arsenic “a straight-up onslaught connected unarmed civilian boats successful planetary waters”.

“This is amerciable nether planetary law. Israel has nary jurisdiction successful these waters. Boarding these boats amounts to amerciable detention, perchance kidnapping connected the precocious seas,” Tsabar added.

Officials astir the globe person condemned the interception of the boats bound for Gaza arsenic a usurpation of planetary law, with Turkiye calling it an “act of piracy”.

“By targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla, whose ngo is to gully attraction to the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the guiltless radical of Gaza, Israel has besides violated humanitarian principles and planetary law,” Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said successful a statement.

Spain called the interception “illegal”, portion Germany and Italy expressed “great concern” and called for the merchandise of detainees.

But successful a connection connected Thursday, the US Department of State threatened “to enforce consequences” against those who enactment the flotilla, which it formed arsenic “pro-Hamas”.

Pro-Palestinian activists accidental Israel and the United States wrongly conflate their advocacy for Palestinian rights with enactment for Hamas fighters.

Last October, Israel’s subject intercepted astir 40 boats from the archetypal Global Sumud Flotilla arsenic they tried to transportation assistance to besieged Gaza, arresting much than 450 participants, including the grandson of South African person Nelson Mandela, Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan.

Detained and taken to Israel, respective of the flotilla activists claimed they were subjected to carnal and intelligence maltreatment portion successful Israeli custody.

Israel aboriginal expelled the arrested unit members and activists.