Israeli troops intercept flotilla boats trying to breach the blockade of Gaza

Thomas Warrick of the Atlantic Council discusses how things will likely unfold after Israel intercepted aid coming into Gaza through international waters.

ANKARA, Turkiye -- Israel’s navy intercepted an activist flotilla in waters off of Cyprus on Monday, halting the group’s latest effort to challenge a blockade of Gaza.

More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris, Turkiye, last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza’s shores to draw attention to the grim conditions for Palestinians living in the war-battered territory.

The organization’s livestream showed activists aboard several vessels putting on life jackets and raising their hands before a boat carrying Israeli troops approached. Wearing tactical gear, they boarded the ship, and the livestream abruptly ended. Many of the ships are currently off the coast of Cyprus.

Other footage showed Israeli forces on speedboats approaching and instructing the activists to move to the front of the boat. At least 17 boats were intercepted in the first three hours of the operation, according to Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker.

The flotilla interceptions occurred outside Cypriot territorial waters. Israeli authorities had not asked for any assistance in the interception, according to a Cypriot official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Israel notified Cyprus that all people aboard the intercepted flotilla boats are in good health, the official added.

Israeli troops boarded the flotilla vessels in broad daylight

Organizers said the boats were intercepted 250 nautical miles (463 kilometres) from the shores of Gaza. Unlike previous interceptions, which mostly took place under the cover of night, the Israeli military boarded the boats in broad daylight.

Israel has maintained a blockade over Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections.

Israel has said the blockade, which restricts the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza, was meant to prevent Hamas from arming itself. Egypt, which has the only border crossing not controlled by Israel, has also greatly restricted movement in and out of Gaza. Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment.

The flotilla organizers said they expect the activists to be taken to the port of Ashdod, in southern Israel. Activists on previous flotillas were brought to the same port, where some were processed and immediately deported, while others were detained before they were deported.

Israel accuses flotilla of being a provocation as Turkiye condemns attack

An hour before the interception, Israel’s Foreign Ministry called on activists to “change course and turn back immediately.”

“Once again, a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called “humanitarian aid flotilla” with no humanitarian aid,” the Foreign Ministry posted on X.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the ongoing operation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, watching the operation from the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, commended the soldiers for “thwarting a malicious plan designed to break the isolation we are imposing on Hamas terrorists in Gaza.”

Netanyahu was supposed to be in court on Monday to testify in his ongoing corruption trial, but requested a cancellation due to all-day security meetings.

Hamas has condemned Israel’s attack on the flotilla as a “full-fledged crime of piracy.” The militant group called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its blockade.

Turkiye echoed Hamas’ piracy accusation and called on Israel to immediately halt the operation and release the flotilla participants.

“Israel’s attacks and intimidation policies will in no way prevent the international community’s pursuit of justice or its solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. Turkey was working to secure the safe return of its own citizens taking part in the flotilla, the ministry added.

Around 20 boats from the flotilla were intercepted last month

On April 30, Israeli forces intercepted more than 20 boats from a flotilla near the southern Greek island of Crete, initially holding about 175 activists. Israeli officials said they had to act early in international waters because of the high number of boats involved.

Israel took two of the activists -- a Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin, Saif Abukeshek, and Brazilian citizen Thiago Avila -- back to Israel, where they were interrogated and detained for several days. The activists accused Israeli forces of torture, which Israel denied. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for “kidnapping” their citizens. The two were deported from Israel after about a week in detention.

Organizers say the latest efforts involved a regrouped fleet joined by additional boats. Nearly 500 activists from 45 countries were taking part.

Previous flotillas failed to reach Gaza

The activists’ attempt comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled a previous effort by the group to reach Gaza, which involved about 50 vessels and around 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and several European lawmakers.

The Israeli action has raised questions about whether it is permissible to enforce a blockade in international waters. Several world leaders and human rights groups have condemned Israel, saying it violated international law.

In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Turkish boat Mavi Marmara, which had been participating in an aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza. Nine Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American on board were killed. The last time an activist boat succeeded in reaching Gaza was in 2008.

Flotilla aims to draw attention to the situation in Gaza

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, and the top diplomat overseeing it says it has stalled because of the deadlock over disarming Hamas. Both sides have traded accusations of violations.

Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli fire with more than 850 people killed in the Palestinian territory since the ceasefire went into effect in October, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry says Israel’s offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, have killed more than 72,700 people. The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not give a breakdown between civilians and militants.

The flotillas have been criticized for bringing minute amounts of aid on tiny ships. The Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid to Gaza claims that sufficient aid is entering Gaza, with around 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entering Gaza daily, similar to prewar levels.

Nonetheless, around two million Gaza residents are still living with severe shortages of housing, food and medicine.

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By Suzan Fraser And Melanie Lidman

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Samy Magdy in Cairo and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus contributed.