The Israeli navy again stopped boats from the international Gaza aid flotilla in international waters west of Cyprus, around 250 nautical miles from Gaza. The roughly 50 boats had set off on Thursday from south-western Turkey.
According to the flotilla, its aim was to bring aid supplies into the Gaza Strip past the Israeli blockade. Activists said Israeli soldiers intercepted the first boat in broad daylight.
The organisers described the operation as an Israeli attack and accused Israel of "violations of international maritime law and the kidnapping of peaceful civilians".
According to them, around 400 people were arrested, including two people said to be living in Luxembourg. Their current whereabouts are not known.
Israel defended the operation and described the flotilla as a provocation. PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel had stopped a "malicious plan" to break the blockade against "Hamas terrorists in Gaza".
