According to information from the Israeli authorities, no ship ultimately managed to break the blockade. Israeli forces boarded the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had set sail aiming to transport activists and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Navy forces also boarded the Greek vessel “Oxygen.”
Watch video of the moment Israeli forces boarded the Greek “Oxygen”:
However, according to The Guardian, one of the vessels, the Mikeno, managed to reach Palestinian territorial waters and is now just a few miles off Gaza. Two more vessels are heading north toward Cyprus, under legal protection, while another remains off the Egyptian coast.
Eventually, the Israelis announced that all crews have been arrested.
Israel: None of the 45 vessels broke the naval blockade – 39 vessels already intercepted
Israel claims that none of the flotillas succeeded in breaching the naval blockade. It announced that it will deport the pro-Palestinian activists who were on the boats intercepted at sea, according to AFP.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the flotilla ships are being escorted by Israeli naval vessels to the port of Ashdod, where registration and deportation procedures for those on board will follow.
Reactions from the Palestinians
At the same time, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s actions as an “attack and act of aggression” and expressed deep concern for the activists’ safety.
In its statement, it said:
“The Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful, civilian initiative aimed at breaking the inhumane and illegal blockade of Gaza and ending the policy of starvation and genocide, in accordance with international law.”
Videos show Israeli warnings to the ships:
The arrests and Greta Thunberg’s presence
Most of the activists who were on the flotilla’s vessels have already been transported under detention to the port of Ashdod, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who appeared in a video sitting on the deck surrounded by Israeli soldiers.
Also among the detained activists is Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the detainees are being “transported safely and peacefully to Israel,” where their deportation to Europe will begin.
Watch videos showing moments of the Israeli intervention:
Greek participation
In a social media post, the activists aboard the Greek vessel “Oxygen” wrote:
“The ship Oxygen has been intercepted by Israeli forces in an act of international piracy, violating International Law and the Law of the Sea.
Our comrades are being abducted and transported to an unknown location against their will. We demand that the Greek government guarantee their immediate and safe return to the country.”
Earlier, Petis Perka, MP for New Left, who was on board the Greek ship “Oxygen”, posted a video on Instagram in which she said that Israeli warships had appeared:
“For a moment, we believed — we wanted to believe — that tomorrow at noon we would be in Gaza, embracing the children who are waiting for us.
Unfortunately, as we expected, four miles ahead of the first vessels, Israeli warships have appeared. So we are waiting for them to come to us as well.”
Three more Greek vessels are participating in the international mission carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza: “Pavlos Fyssas”, “Vangelis Pissias”, and “Ahed Tamimi.”
“We lost communication with hundreds of colleagues”
British activist Ruhi Loren Akhtar, who was aboard one of the flotilla’s vessels, said in a video posted on Instagram that her ship decided to return to Cyprus, as some participants were considered “high-risk” for detention.
“Instead of opening the humanitarian corridor, other boats were intercepted by Israeli forces. We have lost communication with hundreds of colleagues and can only assume they are under arrest,” she said.
Akhtar, founder of the British NGO Refugee Biryani and Bananas, added that her team’s mission now is to coordinate with ground teams to ensure the release of the detainees and the safety of the vessels still at sea.
Allegations of “illegal interception” – International reactions
The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described the Israeli operations as “illegal”, claiming the vessels were sailing in international waters.
“Beyond the confirmed interceptions, live streams and communications with several other boats have been lost,” they noted.
The future of the mission is uncertain, as Israeli naval forces continue to search for the remaining vessels still at sea, while international attention intensifies over the fate of the activists and the ongoing blockade of Gaza.
Hamas, whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered the war in Gaza, called the operation a “crime of piracy.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the Israeli intervention against the flotilla, saying it “once again demonstrates Israel’s barbarity.”
“This attack by the Israeli government against civilians sailing in international waters once again revealed the madness with which its genocidal officials try to cover up their crimes against humanity in Gaza,” Erdoğan declared, denouncing “once again Israel’s barbarity.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called the Israeli operation a “terrorist act,” and the Istanbul prosecutor’s office announced it had launched an investigation following the arrest of Turkish citizens who were on the international flotilla.
France urged Israel “to ensure the safety of all participants.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on Israel to “immediately release” the pro-Palestinian activists, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson.
Italy announced that “at this stage,” 22 of its citizens who participated in the Gaza flotilla have been arrested by Israel — a mission that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once again criticized.
“Obviously, we will do everything we can to ensure that these people can return to Italy as soon as possible,” Meloni said on the sidelines of the European summit in Copenhagen.
“That said (…) I still believe that all this does not benefit the Palestinian people,” she added.
Germany called on Israel to guarantee the safety of all flotilla members.
“We are in contact with the Israeli government and have urged it to fulfill its obligations under international law and act proportionally. We have also requested the protection of all those on board, and as far as we know, this has been done,” said the German Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
He added that the German embassy in Israel is trying to contact any German nationals involved.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the expulsion of the Israeli diplomatic mission from his country.
Greek activists announce hunger strike
Meanwhile, members of March to Gaza Greece — the Greek delegation that took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israel in an attempt to break the naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip — announced that they are beginning a hunger strike.
In their statement, March to Gaza Greece denounced their “illegal detention” by Israeli authorities and said their decision to begin a hunger strike represents a “collective stance against the crime committed against the Palestinian people and the ongoing violation of every notion of international law.”
“We demand the immediate release of all members of our mission and of the Global Sumud Flotilla as a whole. Any charges — such as those under Israel’s ‘anti-terrorism law’ — are false, fabricated, and part of the attempt to criminalize international solidarity.
We also declare that if any of us are beaten, disappeared, or lose communication, responsibility lies primarily with the Israeli state. But we know that Israel is not alone,” the organization stated.
Full statement by March to Gaza Greece:
“After our illegal detention by Israeli authorities, we are starting a hunger strike. This decision is not a personal choice but a collective stance against the crime committed against the Palestinian people and the ongoing violation of every notion of international law.
We do not recognize the illegal blockade of Gaza. We do not recognize the ‘right’ of the terrorist state to abduct ships and people in international waters. Our presence here, our arrest, and now our hunger strike are a continuation of the same stance: Palestine is not alone, and solidarity cannot be imprisoned.
We demand the immediate release of all members of our mission and of the Global Sumud Flotilla as a whole. Any charges — such as those under Israel’s ‘anti-terrorism law’ — are false, fabricated, and part of the attempt to criminalize international solidarity.
We also declare that if any of us are beaten, disappeared, or lose communication, responsibility lies primarily with the Israeli state.
But we know that Israel is not alone. The complicity of international and Greek authorities is clear: with weapons, economic agreements, political and legal cover, they facilitate occupation, blockade, and genocide.
This complicity must be held accountable: we must rise up in Greece and internationally, demand Israel’s complete isolation, and fight so that Palestine and its people may live free.
Against those who use hunger and the deprivation of food as a weapon of war and a bargaining chip against two million people, hunger strike is the least we can do inside their cells to keep the voice of resistance alive.
For us, this is an obvious act of solidarity. This is our duty to the Palestinian people and to every future mission that will continue the path toward a free Palestine.”
Signatories (in the comments):
- Ploutarchos Vergis – crew member, “Oxygen”
- Kyriakos Vlachopoulos – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Ioanna Vrettou – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Evgenia Kavvadia – crew member, “Ahed Tamimi”
- Anna Lagonikou – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Kostas Lampridis – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Paris Lavtsis – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Nikos Liapouris – crew member, “Ahed Tamimi”
- Takis Politis – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Angeliki Savantoglou – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
- Kostas Fourikos – crew member, “Pavlos Fyssas”
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