Several boats that were part of a flotilla of vessels carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip were boarded by Israeli forces on Wednesday night, according to activists and the Israeli foreign ministry.
Flotilla organizers said on social media that the Israeli Navy had “illegally intercepted” several boats in international waters, calling it an “attack on unarmed humanitarians.” They also posted a video showing boats being targeted with water cannons.
Israel’s foreign ministry said on social media that “several vessels” had been “safely stopped.” Passengers will be transported to an Israeli port and will be deported, Israeli officials said. The ministry posted a video showing the climate activist Greta Thunberg — one of several high-profile participants in the mission — calmly engaging with a person wearing military gear as the boat was boarded.
There were at least 40 vessels in the flotilla. In a voice message on Wednesday after some boats were boarded, Adnaan Stumo, an American participant on a vessel that had not been intercepted, said the rest were moving ahead slowly.
Israel has said it will not allow the boats to reach Gaza.
Who is on the flotilla?
The boats are part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the name for a group of activists protesting Israel’s war in Gaza. Their mission is to deliver food during the humanitarian crisis there.
The flotilla set sail from Spain in early September and was joined by other vessels as it traversed the Mediterranean Sea. It consisted of at least 40 boats, with a number of high-profile passengers. They include Ms. Thunberg; Mandla Mandela, a grandson of Nelson Mandela; and elected lawmakers from Italy, which has been rocked by antiwar protests in recent weeks.
What is the group’s aim?
The activists say their goal is to break the siege on Gaza and open a humanitarian corridor to provide aid by sea. They also seek to raise awareness about suffering in the enclave, which has been under an Israeli blockade since shortly after Hamas seized power there in 2007.
Israel’s restrictions on goods entering Gaza have become more severe since the war there, which began in response to the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023. More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, according to health authorities in Gaza who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Parts of the enclave have been suffering from famine in recent months, according to a United Nations-backed panel of food experts whose findings Israel has rejected.
A video posted by flotilla organizers on Wednesday night shows Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist on the group’s steering committee, on one of the boats, responding to a demand by the Israeli authorities to turn back.
“We are a peaceful, nonviolent humanitarian mission,” Mr. Ávila said, adding that the group carried only food, medical supplies and items like water filters.
The encounter with Israeli forces had been anticipated by the activists, including Ms. Thunberg, who have been livestreaming their trip across the Mediterranean Sea on social media. Videos have showed them training for nonviolent responses to encounters with Israeli commandos.
How has Israel responded?
The flotilla’s organizers accuse Israel of violating international law with its restrictions on aid to Gaza and by thwarting missions to deliver food to civilians. They have been in conflict with the Israeli authorities since their mission began.
Israel has said it will do whatever is necessary to keep the ships from reaching Gaza. It also has accused the flotilla of having ties to Hamas, allegations that the group’s organizers have denied.
On Wednesday night, the Israeli foreign ministry said the flotilla had been asked to “change course” because it was “approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade.”
The ministry has called on the group to deposit its aid at a port in Israel for it to be delivered to Gaza.
The flotilla’s organizers have rejected the proposal as disingenuous and suggested that Israel was involved in jamming their communications and attacking them with drones as they sailed across the Mediterranean, including in waters near Greece last week and at a port in Tunisia last month.
After those incidents, Italy and Spain sent naval ships to accompany the flotilla for parts of its journey, and Turkey had drones monitor the boats and document potential attacks.
But as the flotilla drew closer to Gaza, Spanish officials urged it not to proceed any further. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, also called on the flotilla to turn back, saying that she feared it could undermine attempts to reach a peace deal.
Is this the first time a flotilla has tried to reach Gaza?
Activists have made a number of efforts to reach Gaza by Sea.
In May, a Gaza-bound ship called Conscience halted its mission off the coast of Malta after it was hit by explosions. Israel intercepted the Madleen in June and another vessel, the Handala, in July.
In 2010, an attempt by Israel to stop another flotilla turned deadly after navy commandos boarded one boat, killing at least nine passengers and wounding 30 more.
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting from Haifa, Israel.
Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.
Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome.
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