Pro-Palestinian activists claim that at least 22 vessels from a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near the Greek island of Crete. This was reported by the BBC, according to UNN.
Details
Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) condemned these actions, calling them "piracy," and stated that the people on board were illegally detained more than 965 km from Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that about 175 activists from more than 20 vessels were detained and are being transported to Israel. The ministry called the flotilla a "PR stunt."
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According to the GSF tracking system, most of the 36 remaining vessels in the flotilla were located near the southern coast of Crete.
The flotilla set sail two weeks ago, with a total of 58 vessels from Spain, France, and Italy joining to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
On Thursday, the GSF stated that Israeli naval forces "intercepted, boarded, and systematically disabled and destroyed several vessels" during a "violent raid" in international waters west of Crete overnight.
More than 180 civilians from various countries around the world came under direct attack
Organizers also stated that after detaining participants, damaging engines, and blocking communications, Israeli forces left some people on damaged vessels at sea ahead of a storm.
Israel insists that its actions comply with international law.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that due to the large number of vessels and the risk of escalation, as well as the need to prevent a breach of the legal blockade, the operation was necessary.
It is also claimed that the operation was conducted peacefully and without casualties. During the initial inspection of the vessels, items that could be drugs and contraceptives were allegedly discovered.
The Foreign Ministry also accused the flotilla organizers of cooperating with Hamas to disrupt the peace plan for Gaza and distract attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the detention and demanded the immediate release of all Italian citizens. Italian media report the detention of 24 Italian citizens.
The European Union called on Israel to respect international humanitarian and maritime law.
The Greek government has not publicly commented on the incident; however, politician Yanis Varoufakis accused the authorities of inaction.
Palestinian-American activist Tariq Ra'ouf stated that the flotilla participants are determined to continue the mission despite the incident.
According to the organizers, the goal of the current flotilla is to break the blockade of Gaza and establish a humanitarian corridor.
The Israeli body COGAT stated that humanitarian aid is entering Gaza without restrictions.
The UN has previously warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the population faces critical shortages of food, water, and medical services.
Reminder
Israel has previously stopped flotillas organized by the GSF, notably in October 2025, detaining over 470 people, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.