Israel announced today that it will not allow the international flotilla Global Sumud Flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip, as the vessels carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists seek to break the blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

“Israel will not allow ships to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the violation of a legal naval blockade,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, accusing Hamas of organizing the operation to further its goals.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of dozens of vessels, aims to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver food and humanitarian supplies to the enclave, which has been devastated by nearly two years of war.