The Israeli military intercepted in international waters yet another Gaza-bound flotilla attempting to deliver aid to the war-ravaged territory on Wednesday and detained dozens of people on board.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international network of pro-Palestinian activist groups that set sail to break Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza, said all nine of its boats were "attacked and illegally intercepted by the Israeli military".
The boats were intercepted around 4.24am local time at about 120 nautical miles or 220km from the embattled Gaza Strip, the flotilla said.
"The unarmed crew abroad, including doctors, journalists and elected officials, have been abducted," it said, adding that the boats were carrying vital aid worth over $110,000 (£82,150) in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies. "Their whereabouts remain unknown," it said.
But Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement on X the flotilla's vessels and passengers were safe, had been transferred to an Israeli port, and were expected to be deported promptly. "Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing," the ministry said.
The incident was the second such event in recent days, after Israel intercepted about 40 vessels and detained more than 450 activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg in an aid convoy, the Global Sumud Flotilla, that was also attempting to deliver supplies to Gaza.
The FFC said Israeli forces "hijacked the humanitarian fleet", adding that the "ships were illegally intercepted ... participants – humanitarians, doctors and journalists from across the world – have been taken against their will and are being held in unknown conditions”.
"The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters," it said. "Our flotilla poses no harm."
In an earlier post, the flotilla said one of its boats, "The Conscience", carrying 92 people, mostly journalists and healthcare workers, was "attacked by an Israeli military helicopter".
Turkish, Irish, French, Bangladeshi and Danish activist were among those onboard who were detained by the Israeli forces. Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim strongly condemned the Israeli military, calling it a violation of international law.
“The act of detaining a humanitarian ship carrying aid for the people of Gaza is inhumane and abuses the fundamental principles of human rights and universal human dignity," Mr Ibrahim said in a post on X.
"I demand that all Malaysian activists and volunteers be released immediately, given appropriate protection, and not mistreated throughout their detention period," he added.
Turkey confirmed its citizens and lawmakers were on board the flotilla and slammed the intervention by Israeli forces as an act of piracy and a violation of international law.
Turkey's foreign ministry said the intervention showed that the Israeli government targeted peaceful measures and heightened tensions in the region while damaging peace efforts. It added in its statement that all initiatives were being taken for Turkish citizens held by Israel to be freed and returned to Turkey, and that it was coordinating with other countries regarding their citizens too.
Previously, the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla drew widespread condemnation and sparked large protests in several major cities and a one-day strike across Italy. Some of the activists detained claimed they were abused and humiliated by the Israeli forces.
Italian journalist Saverio Tommasi said Israeli soldiers withheld medicines and treated prisoners “like monkeys”. “This is called torture. It’s called torture, a denial of human rights, even the most basic ones,” he said on his return at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport late Saturday.
Israel, which rejects accusations it is carrying out genocide in Gaza and says reports of hunger there are exaggerated, has dismissed the flotilla as a publicity stunt benefitting Hamas. It had previously detained Ms Thunberg at sea in a similar attempt to breach the blockade in June.
“Let me be very clear. There is a genocide going on,” Ms Thunberg told the crowd upon her arrival at the Athens airport. “Our international systems are betraying Palestinians. They are not even able to prevent the worst war crimes from happening,” she said.
Israel and Hamas are currently in the third day of indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm Al-Sheikh, along with high-level leaders from international delegations, including the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Israel’s two-year-long offensive in Gaza has killed about 67,000 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Strip. A UN body last month found Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel began the offensive after Hamas-led Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians and took 251 others to Gaza as hostages.
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