Israeli naval forces raided the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful humanitarian mission comprising nearly 50 civilian boats and over 500 participants, including activists, lawmakers, and journalists from various countries.
The flotilla vessels, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August.
It was the first time in years that such number of vessels sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million, for nearly 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.
A screenshot from a live-stream video shows Israeli naval forces aboard a ship which is part of the Global Sumud Flotilla and, according to the flotilla's organisers, was intercepted on October 2, 2025. / Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via Reuters
How did Israel respond?
Israeli navy soldiers boarded vessels and detained scores of activists aboard, but 12 hours after the military began intercepting the vessels, several boats continued sailing and were nearing the besieged territory on Thursday.
According to the official flotilla tracker, Israeli forces have so far detained at least 317 activists from 21 vessels, including 25 Turkish citizens.
The detained activists are being transported to Israel’s Ashdod Port, from which they will be deported to Europe, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The Global Sumud Flotilla has been streaming its voyage online via live cameras aboard different boats, though several connections were lost as Israeli authorities began intercepting them in international waters on Wednesday evening.
The flotilla's live tracker showed at least 20 boats were intercepted while others were sailing on and appeared to be only a few miles away from Gaza, and one boat appeared to have crossed into the strip's territorial waters, according to the activists' tracker.
Live feeds, communications scrambled
Among the activists who have been detained by Israeli soldiers are Greta Thunberg, former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, European parliament member Rima Hassan and others.
The boats were about 70 nautical miles off Gaza when they were intercepted, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.
The organisers said their communications, including the use of a live camera feed from some of the boats, had been scrambled.
Israel's Foreign Ministry posted photos and videos of the activists, saying in a statement on X that they were “safe and in good health”.
Earlier, live broadcasts overnight from the activists, showed Israeli boats approaching their vessels, spraying them with water canons and flashing bright lights before soldiers boarded the flotilla.
Anticipating the interceptions, activists wearing life jackets sat in circles and raised their hands in the air.
Some managed to stream the moment live from their cell phones before tossing their devices into the sea.
What is the world saying?
The interception has sparked widespread condemnation.
Supporters of the flotilla took to the streets in several European cities — including Rome, Naples, Barcelona and Athens — to decry Israeli actions and the ongoing Israeli offensive.
Italy’s largest union called for a one-day general strike on Friday, which is expected to block all the main sectors, including transportation and schools.
Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli navy’s attack, describing it as an “act of terrorism” and a severe breach of international law in a statement late Wednesday.
‘Maritime piracy’
The ministry said it was working to ensure the immediate release of Turkish citizens and other activists detained by Israeli forces.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the expulsion of Israel’s entire diplomatic delegation following the detention of two Colombians in the flotilla and terminated Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel.
In a statement, Hamas expressed support for the activists and called Israel's interception of the flotilla a "criminal act", calling for public protests to condemn Israel.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad called the raid “maritime piracy,” holding Israel responsible for participant safety.
The UN special rapporteur labeled Israel’s actions unlawful and criticised Western complicity.
Vows to protect citizens
Europe urged Israel to respect international law and protect activists, with leaders warning of wider humanitarian concerns.
Asian leaders, including Pakistan, Malaysia, and the Maldives, strongly denounced the attack and vowed to protect their citizens.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack barbaric, while Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned that his country will take all legal measures to hold Tel Aviv accountable.
A screengrab from a live stream video shows crew of a Gaza-bound vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, raise their hands as they are surrounded by Israeli army, October 2, 2025. /Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via Reuters
What does international maritime law say?
International maritime law generally restricts state jurisdiction to 12 nautical miles offshore, yet Israel claims military justification under laws concerning armed conflict.
Human rights experts argue that humanitarian missions have protected passage rights.
Yuval Shany, an expert on international law at Hebrew University in West Jerusalem, said that as long as Israel’s blockade of Gaza is “militarily justified” — meant to keep out weapons — and the ship intended to break the siege, Israel can intercept the vessel after prior warning.
Whether the blockade is militarily justified and the legality of the blockade is a point of contention.
This flotilla represents the largest such civilian mission to challenge Israel’s 18-year blockade of Gaza.
This incident mirrors the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, where Israeli forces killed nine Turkish activists and injured several more aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship, leading to a severe diplomatic crisis between Turkiye and Israel.
Observers warn that the latest attack risks reigniting tensions while once again highlighting Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, which rights groups and UN bodies describe as unlawful collective punishment under international law.
