ATHENS, Greece — Activists aboard dozens of boats trying to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid say Israeli forces intercepted them overnight Wednesday into Thursday, detaining crews while the flotilla sailed near the southern Greek island of Crete.
The Global Sumud Flotilla sailed earlier this month from Barcelona. Organizers said more than 70 boats and about 1,000 people from around the world were participating, with additional vessels joining as the convoy moved east across the Mediterranean. The effort follows a similar attempt foiled by Israeli authorities less than a year ago.
“Israel’s actions … mark a dangerous and unprecedented escalation, the abduction of civilians in the middle of the Mediterranean, over 600 miles from Gaza, in full view of the world,” the group said in a press release.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X it was taking about 175 activists from more than 20 boats to Israel.
Since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt have enforced varying levels of blockade. Israel says the measures are needed to stop arms from reaching Hamas; critics argue the blockade amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population.
Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned the seizure Thursday as “an act of piracy,” accusing Israel of violating humanitarian principles and international law. Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the raid by phone with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno.
Activists in Greece planned a protest outside the Greek foreign ministry in Athens, asserting the interception occurred within the maritime zone where Greece is responsible for search and rescue and criticizing the Greek coast guard for not intervening.
A fragile six-month ceasefire has reduced the most intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza, but Israeli attacks have continued, killing more than 790 people during the truce, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Overall, the ministry reports 72,300 Palestinians killed since the war began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel that killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
About 2 million Gaza residents remain in devastated conditions with shortages of food and medicine and only limited aid entering through a single Israeli-controlled border crossing. Flotilla organizers say their voyage aims to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, especially as global focus shifts to the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran.
Last year’s flotilla attempt had dozens of boats near Gaza; one crossed the 12-nautical-mile line into territorial waters but all were intercepted, seized or turned away. Participants then, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, said they were abused while detained; Israeli authorities denied those allegations.