Tel Aviv, Israel – In a serious escalation, the Israeli navy intercepted and seized approximately 20 ships belonging to the “Global Freedom Flotilla” early Thursday morning as they sailed in international waters near the Greek island of Crete.
The flotilla aimed to break the naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and deliver urgent humanitarian aid to the population facing dire conditions.
Operation details: Intelligence coordination and early interception
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed via its “X” platform that approximately 175 activists of various nationalities are being taken to Israel after their ships were seized. For their part, the flotilla organizers announced that the Israeli military attacked 21 ships 45 nautical miles west of Crete. This distance is far from Israeli territorial waters, prompting accusations of violating international maritime law.
According to the Israeli news site Walla, the Israeli government adopted a “deterrence” strategy by seizing part of the flotilla and issuing warnings to the rest. The operation involved elite naval units in coordination with the Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman). The command was directly overseen by Navy Commander Rear Admiral Eyal Harel.
Canadian activist Safaa Chebbi reported that Israeli drones surrounded the ships before warships boarded them, preventing them from continuing their journey to Gaza.
International condemnation: “An act of piracy and Zionist aggression”
The attack sparked widespread condemnation, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry describing the operation as “piracy” and a blatant violation of human values and international law. It also stated that Israel was violating the principle of freedom of navigation in international waters. Ankara confirmed that it was in intensive contact with the countries involved to ensure the safety of its citizens and other participants.
For its part, Hamas condemned the attack, describing it as “terrorism” perpetrated by the occupying government without international deterrence. The movement called on the international community to take immediate action to secure the release of the detained activists, holding Israel fully responsible for their safety.
Human rights concerns and precedents of violations
This confrontation comes amid human rights reports indicating that seizing ships in international waters is illegal under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Concerns are growing about the fate of the activists, as past experiences have documented instances of participants in the blockade-breaking flotillas being subjected to ill-treatment and torture during interrogations at Israeli detention centers. All of this occurred before their deportation.
This flotilla is the second initiative of the “Global Resilience Flotilla.” According to some reports, it comprises approximately 65 ships carrying hundreds of activists. The activists remain determined to draw the world’s attention to the “starvation war” and genocide that the Gaza Strip has been subjected to since October 2023.
