Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail for Gaza on Thursday from southern Turkey, reported on Monday that Israeli forces had boarded one of their vessels and contact was lost with another in the eastern Mediterranean.
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on X that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
Live video footage showed military vessels approaching the flotilla on Monday. The Global Sumud Flotilla said on X: “Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and Israeli forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight. We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission.”
Israel also called on all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately.
The previous flotilla departed from Spain on April 12. But Israeli forces intercepted vessels in that group, taking more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists to Crete and detaining two others in Israel.