Israeli forces intercepted another flotilla attempting to break the country's naval blockade and reach Gaza, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, calling the effort a "futile attempt" that "ended in nothing." The ministry also said that the vessels and passengers were transferred to an Israeli port and were safe and in good health. Passengers are expected to be deported promptly, according to the ministry.
The nine-boat fleet was carrying 145 activists participating in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition & Thousand Madleens to Gaza, The Associated Press reported, citing the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Flotilla organizers said in a statement that the fleet was carrying more than $110,000 worth of aid, including medicine, respiratory equipment and nutritional supplies meant for Gaza's hospitals.
David Heap, Canadian Boat to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee, asserted that "Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships."
"Our volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately," Heap added.
This seizure comes just days after Israeli forces intercepted another aid flotilla and arrested the activists on board, including Greta Thunberg, an outspoken critic of Israel. Thunberg was also arrested while participating in a flotilla in June.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted on Oct. 2, became the subject of controversy when Israel said the fleet did not have any aid. Flotilla organizers insist that the claim was "not just verifiably false; it is obscene," saying that the boats were "meticulously documented, loaded with medical supplies, food and other life-saving foods for people in Gaza."
Thunberg was also aboard another Gaza-bound flotilla that was intercepted in June. The climate activist said she had been "kidnapped" by Israel, a comment that drew scrutiny from those who pointed out the plight of the hostages who have been held in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
The activist was later deported from Israel and allegedly told attorneys she could do "more good outside of Israel," and that refusing to leave would "harm our cause," The Times of Israel reported, citing a spokesperson for Adalah, a legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel. Adalah now represents GSF, a more recent attempt to reach Gaza.
In June, when asked about Thunberg's claim that she had been "kidnapped" by Israel, President Donald Trump said, "I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg." The president called the climate activist a "strange person" and told reporters that she needed "anger management" courses.