Israeli naval forces attacked an international aid flotilla heading toward the besieged Gaza Strip and detained at least 443 activists on board, organizers said on Thursday.
According to the official flotilla tracker, 21 vessels were attacked by Israeli naval forces; it is believed that another 19 were later attacked, and three are still on their way to Gaza.
In a statement, the Global Sumud Flotilla said that activists on the vessels were forcibly taken from their boats by Israeli forces, describing their detention as an “illegal abduction.”
It was confirmed that 443 activists from 47 countries are being transferred to Ashdod.
Activists on the ships attacked by Israel are from different countries, including Spain, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Greece, America, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK), and France, as well as many others.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the social media X that the detained activists are on their way to the Israeli port of Ashdod, from where they will be deported to Europe.
The ministry said that one vessel remains at a distance, promising to prevent it from approaching the area.
The tracker showed that the vessel “Mikeno” entered Gaza’s territorial waters, but the tracking signal was lost when the vessel was about 9.3 nautical miles from the enclave.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said that Israeli forces surrounded the ships as they were sailing toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s years-long blockade. Activists reported signal interference and loss of communication on most vessels.
Several activists posted videos on social media showing Israeli warships approaching the flotilla and ordering them to change course.
“We are currently being attacked by the Zionist (Israeli) army,” stated the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza.
The committee accused Israel of using violence against activists, saying that naval forces rammed one ship, deployed water cannons, and forcibly boarded the vessels, while “brutally abusing peaceful activists from 50 countries around the world.”
The aid flotilla was less than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) from Gaza before it was attacked by the Israeli navy.
Activists spotted more than 20 Israeli warships approaching the flotilla, and the navy ordered them to change course.
The attack took place when the flotilla had already passed the point where the ships “Madleen” and “Handala” were also attacked by Israel in June and July.
Live footage from the flotilla showed activists putting on life jackets as Israeli ships approached the vessels.
The Israeli attack took place despite appeals from international organizations, including Amnesty International, for the protection of the aid flotillas. The United Nations (UN) also warned that any attack on the convoy would be unacceptable.
Israel, as the occupying power, had previously attacked ships heading to Gaza, seized their cargo, and deported the activists on board.
The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that more than 50 ships sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 activists from over 45 countries.
Israel has maintained the blockade of Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked the delivery of food and medicine, pushing the enclave into famine.
Since October 2023, more than 66.000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza. The UN and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is becoming uninhabitable, while hunger and disease are spreading rapidly.
