Israel intercepts activist flotilla headed to Gaza, Luxembourg participant still sailing

Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian initiative aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, reported on Wednesday evening that multiple of its boats had been "illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters".

The organisers also describe "intentionally damaged ship communications" that blocked distress signals and the live-streams with which on-ground organisers had been monitoring the situation on sea.

At the time of the press release at 11pm on Wednesday, the organisers had not yet confirmed which boats were affected, and whether there have been detentions or injuries. In a post on X, however, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the lead boat Alma, which carried Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, to have been intercepted.

"Several vessels of the... flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port", the Ministry wrote, posting footage of the 22-year-old Thunberg retrieving her belongings. "Greta and her friends are safe and healthy."

The GSF group now calls on governments to pressure Israel into releasing all activists on board and to monitor the developments closely.

Still 'sailing strong'

Nonetheless, the flotilla carrying aid to Gaza said dozens of its ships were still "sailing strong" towards the war-battered Palestinian territory on Thursday despite an interception by Israeli naval forces, with most of its vessels nearing the coast of the Gaza Strip.

In an updated press release, March to Gaza Luxembourg confirmed Mia Mia, the boat carrying Luxembourgish participant Nora Rosa Fellens Huberty, is still at sea.

"30 boats still sailing strong on their way to Gaza, just 46 nautical miles away, despite the incessant aggressions from the Israeli occupation navy," the flotilla posted on X with a time stamp of 3:20 am local time (0020 GMT).

Flotilla spokesman Saif Abukeshek said Israeli forces had intercepted 13 boats carrying around 200 people in total, including many from Spain and Italy.

But, he said in a video posted on Instagram, "our mission is going on".

"They are determined. They are motivated, and they are doing everything within their hands to be able to break the siege by this early morning," he said of the remaining vessels.

The flotilla had earlier vowed to press on with its bid to deliver aid to the devastated coastal territory despite what it called "intimidation" tactics by the Israeli military.

It said on X it remained "vigilant as we enter the area where the previous flotillas were intercepted and/or attacked".

'Illegal' moves

The interceptions occurred at about 8:30 pm on Wednesday, the flotilla said, describing the move as "illegal" as they were traversing international waters.

"Beyond the confirmed interceptions, live streams and communications with several other vessels have been lost," the statement added.

Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza, condemned the interception of the flotilla "in international waters" as "crime of piracy and maritime terrorism".

After a 10-day stop in Tunisia, where organisers reported two drone attacks, the flotilla resumed its journey on September 15.

One of its main ships, the Alma, was "aggressively circled by an Israeli warship", the group said, before another vessel, the Sirius, was subjected to "similar harassing manoeuvres".

International reactions

In Italy, which has already seen a general strike in support of the flotilla, hundreds turned out late on Wednesday in Rome in its support.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Naples blocked trains at the southern Italian city's main station for around an hour before being cleared by police.

Unions have called for another strike on Friday to urge stronger action from the government against Israel's actions.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he will expel all remaining Israeli diplomats in the country over the interception.

Turkey's foreign minister called it "an act of terrorism that constitutes the most serious violation of international law and endangers the lives of innocent civilians", whereas the French Foreign Ministry has urged Israel to guarantee the safety of passengers and to respect their right to consular protection.

Protests also already took place in Berlin on Wednesday evening, with a demonstration planned here in Luxembourg at 12.30pm in front of the Foreign Ministry.

Israel blocked similar attempts in June and July.

'Stop now'

Spain and Italy, which both sent naval escorts, had urged the ships to halt before entering Israel's declared exclusion zone off Gaza, saying their frigates would not pass that mark.

Spain's digital transformation minister, Oscar Lopez, had urged the flotilla not to cross into Israel's declared exclusion zone, extending 150 nautical miles off Gaza.

Italy, too, urged the activists to "stop now" after its frigate halted at the that limit.

The activists said Spain and Italy's decision was an attempt to "sabotage" their endeavours.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the activists posed no threat and urged Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu not to consider them one either.

And Italy's Giorgia Meloni said the voyage could jeopardise US President Donald Trump's latest proposed Gaza peace plan, currently still under negotiation.