ASHDDO, Israel – Israeli naval units intercepted the Gaza Flotilla on Wednesday evening, boarding several aid boats bound for Gaza and detaining more than 500 activists, among them Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The operation took place about 70 nautical miles off Gaza in international waters, and comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in the besieged strip, where a blockade has been in place for almost twenty years.
The Gaza Flotilla, made up of over 40 civilian vessels that set sail from Barcelona on 31 August, was organized by the Global Sumud Flotilla coalition, a network of activists, lawmakers, and lawyers from many countries.
Named for the Arabic word for steadfastness, the mission carried symbolic consignments of food, water, medicines, and baby formula for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who face serious shortages during Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas.
High-profile participants included Thunberg, Mandla Mandela, and parliamentarians from Spain, Italy, and Ireland.
WATCH: The moment Israel intercepted the Sumud Flotilla boat Adara #Flotilla
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Gaza Flotilla Boarding Live-Streamed
Witnesses and live streams showed Israeli warships surrounding the lead boat, the Alma, at around 8.30 p.m. local time. Activists on the Gaza Flotilla raised their hands as commandos in tactical gear boarded by rope, used water cannons, and ordered the flotilla to change course.
“This is an illegal attack on unarmed humanitarians,” the coalition said on social media, promising to “continue undeterred” despite the seizures. Footage from the Sirius and Adara showed crew members linking arms in a nonviolent protest while soldiers took control of the bridges, with no injuries reported.
Thunberg, 22, founder of Fridays for Future and an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights in recent months, was among the first detained. A video released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry showed her seated on the Alma’s deck, speaking with a soldier as helicopters hovered overhead.
“Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” the ministry posted on X, adding that detainees would be taken to Ashdod Port for processing and deportation. Moments before boarding, Thunberg had livestreamed, “My name is Greta Thunberg. I am on board the ship Alma.
We are about to be intercepted by Israel.” This is her second detention in such circumstances; in June, Israeli forces stopped the Madleen, leading to her brief arrest and quick deportation.
Israeli officials called the action a lawful enforcement of a naval blockade in place since 2007 to stop weapons from reaching Hamas. “The flotilla was approaching an active combat zone,” a military spokesperson told reporters in Tel Aviv. “We offered to offload and deliver the aid through established channels, but they refused.”
The Foreign Ministry alleged links between the coalition and Hamas, claims organizers rejected as “defamatory propaganda.” The interception follows intensified Israeli strikes in Gaza, where at least 73 Palestinians were killed on 1 October, according to local health officials.
The voyage had been fraught from early on. Organizers said drones harassed the fleet near Greece and Tunisia in September, blaming Israeli sabotage, which Jerusalem dismissed as “baseless.”
Spanish and Italian naval escorts shadowed the Gaza flotilla until 150 nautical miles from Gaza, with Turkish drones also monitoring. As the boats neared Gaza, official backing faded; Italy pulled its ships days earlier, citing safety risks.
Reactions abroad were swift and divided. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the boarding as “an act of terrorism” that broke international law and put civilians at risk. In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro ordered Israeli diplomats to leave after two Colombian nationals were detained.
Protests erupted in Rome and other European cities, where crowds blocked roads and chanted “Free Gaza” outside Israeli embassies. Sinn Féin denounced the detention of Irish Senator Paul Murphy, and Italian MPs announced plans for parliamentary scrutiny.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, called for the immediate release of those detained and said the blockade violates UN calls for humanitarian access.
“This is not about aid; it’s about visibility,” flotilla coordinator Huwaida Arraf said before the interception. UN bodies have described the blockade as a form of collective punishment that heightens the risk of famine in Gaza, where aid deliveries have been restricted since the October 2023 Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis.
By dawn on Thursday in Ashdod, detainees, including Thunberg , had undergone medical checks and questioning. Coalition representatives said all were unharmed but “traumatised,” and expected deportations within 48 hours. Several remaining boats stayed about 70 miles offshore, broadcasting appeals for help. “The mission isn’t over,” one activist posted. “Sumud means we persist.”
The episode recalls the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, when Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists during a similar attempt to breach the blockade, straining ties for years.
With Gaza’s death toll reportedly above 41,000 and winter approaching, the Global Sumud Flotilla, while stopped at sea, has amplified calls for a ceasefire and unhindered aid routes. From detention, Thunberg posted via a smuggled phone, “They can stop the boats, but not the truth.”
