Israeli Navy intercepts Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters off Cyprus

Israeli naval forces intercepted an activist flotilla in international waters off Cyprus on Monday, stopping a multi-boat effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and draw attention to worsening humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave, according to the Associated Press.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising more than 50 vessels carrying nearly 500 activists from 45 countries, departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris last week and was attempting to reach Gaza’s shores. Organisers said the boats were intercepted about 250 nautical miles from Gaza, well outside Cypriot territorial waters.

Video live-streamed by activists showed passengers putting on life jackets and raising their hands as Israeli forces approached. The broadcast ended shortly after troops boarded the vessels. By Monday evening, at least 31 boats had been intercepted, according to the flotilla’s online tracker.

The Associated Press reported that Cypriot authorities said they had received no distress calls from the area and were not informed in advance by Israel about the operation.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the flotilla as a “provocation” and said the vessels were not carrying humanitarian aid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the interception, saying the military had thwarted an attempt to break what he called Israel’s isolation of Hamas in Gaza.

The flotilla organisers said participants were expected to be taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where previous activists have been detained and deported.

Several governments whose citizens were aboard the vessels reacted sharply. Spain summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid, while Turkey condemned the operation as “piracy” and demanded the immediate release of those detained. Indonesia also called for the release of its nationals.

Hamas denounced the interception as a “full-fledged crime of piracy” and urged international pressure on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza.

Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since 2007, after Hamas took control of the territory. Israeli officials say the restrictions are intended to prevent weapons from reaching the group, while critics argue they amount to collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 72,700 people have been killed since the war began in October 2023. The ministry, which is run by Hamas, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The attempted voyage was the latest in a series of activist flotillas seeking to breach the blockade. In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara, killing 10 activists and triggering an international outcry. The last activist boat to successfully reach Gaza did so in 2008.