The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that another flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces early Wednesday morning as a fleet of nine boats attempted to “breach the legal naval blockade” and enter Gaza.
According to The Associated Press, a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists linked to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition & Thousand Madleens to Gaza was intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea.
In a press release on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s website, the activist organization said, “A total of 145 activists from 30 different countries were abducted and are being take[n] against their will to a country they did not chose to enter.” The Freedom Flotilla Coalition claimed that the Israeli military “attacked and illegally intercepted” the flotilla roughly 120 nautical miles from Gaza at 4:34 a.m.
Addressing the interception of the Gaza flotilla in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote, “Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing. The vessels and the passengers are transferred to an Israeli port. All the passengers are safe and in good health. The passengers are expected to be deported promptly.”
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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition claimed that sources indicated that the flotilla intercepted by Israel on Wednesday included elected officials, doctors, journalists, and other unarmed crew members. The coalition also claimed that the flotilla was transporting more than $110,000 in nutritional supplies, medicine, and respiratory equipment intended for use in hospitals in Gaza.
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” David Heap, a member of the Canadian Boat to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee, stated. “Our volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” Heap added.
According to The Associated Press, the interception of the Gaza flotilla by Israeli forces on Wednesday comes after a flotilla of over 40 boats and almost 450 activists was intercepted last week on its way to Gaza. The outlet noted that the activists who participated in last week’s flotilla included European lawmakers and left-wing activist Greta Thunberg.
