Flotilla Intercepted Near Crete
Pro-Palestinian activists report that Israeli forces intercepted at least 22 boats from a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza in international waters near the Greek island of Crete.
The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) condemned the interception as "piracy," asserting that those on board were seized unlawfully more than 965km (600 miles) from Gaza, which remains under an Israeli naval blockade.
The Israeli foreign ministry stated that approximately 175 activists from over 20 boats were detained and are being transported to Israel. The ministry dismissed the flotilla as a "PR stunt."
Tracking data from the GSF indicated that most of the remaining 36 boats in the flotilla were near Crete's southern coast.
Flotilla's Mission and Israeli Response
The flotilla, which set sail two weeks ago, comprises 58 vessels from Spain, France, and Italy, aiming to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza.
On Thursday, the GSF reported that Israeli naval forces "intercepted, boarded, and systematically disabled and destroyed various boats" during a "violent raid in international waters" west of Crete overnight.
"Over 180 civilians from around the world have been directly attacked,"
the GSF added.
"After detaining participants, smashing an engine and jamming communications, the [Israeli forces] retreated, kidnapping participants or intentionally leaving civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm."
Israel maintains that its actions comply with international law.
The Israeli foreign ministry explained that, "due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade, an early action was required."
"The operation was carried out in international waters peacefully and without any casualties. An initial inspection of the vessels revealed materials that appear to be drugs and contraceptives,"
the ministry added.
Additionally, the ministry accused the flotilla's organisers of collaborating with the Palestinian armed group Hamas "with the aim of sabotaging President Trump's [Gaza] peace plan transition to its second phase and intended to divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm."
International Reactions
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the seizure and demanded the immediate release of "all the unlawfully detained Italians." Italian media reported that 24 Italians were among those detained.
Meloni also called for "the full respect of international law and guarantees on the physical safety of the people on board."
European Union foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni told reporters,
"We reiterate our call on Israeli authorities to respect international law, including international humanitarian law and international maritime law."
Greece's government has not publicly commented on the incident. However, politician Yanis Varoufakis accused it of complicity, alleging failure to defend maritime law within Greece's search-and-rescue region.
Voices from the Flotilla
Tariq Ra'ouf, a Palestinian-American writer and activist, told Arabic that he was aboard one of the flotilla's support vessels in Greek waters.
"The spirits on board are high, we are determined to keep doing what we can to support the ending of Israel's illegal siege on Gaza,"
he said.
"I am feeling shocked and dismayed at the impunity of Israel's actions, and how they have managed to break international law repeatedly but most especially this far away from Gaza."
Previous Flotilla and Objectives
Israel stopped the previous flotilla organised by the GSF from reaching Gaza last October, arresting and deporting more than 470 people on board, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The GSF states that the latest flotilla's objectives are to "challenge Israel's illegal blockade, advance the opening of a permanent humanitarian corridor, and intensify coordinated international pressure on governments and corporations complicit in its enforcement."
Israeli Aid Facilitation and UN Concerns
Cogat, the Israeli defence body managing Gaza's land crossings, said Israel is facilitating aid entry into Gaza and that there is "no limit on the amount of aid that can enter."
Earlier this week, a senior UN official warned that Gaza's situation is steadily worsening, with its 2.1 million residents "facing ongoing and deadly Israeli strikes and dire humanitarian conditions."
UN Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council,
"While some improvements in access and aid delivery have been observed in recent weeks, unpredictable access, limited operational crossings, and restrictions on critical humanitarian items termed as 'dual use' by Israel continue to constrain UN response."
"Food security remains a challenge, while essential services, particularly water, sanitation, and health, are again on the brink of collapse,"
he added.
Last August, experts from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed a famine in Gaza City.
In December, they reported improvements in nutrition and food supplies following an October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, part of Trump's Gaza peace plan. However, 100,000 people were still experiencing catastrophic conditions, projected to decrease to 1,900 by mid-April.
Background of the Gaza Conflict
The Gaza war began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
Israel responded with a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, during which more than 72,600 people have been killed, including 824 since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
