About 450 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla were seized in international waters and taken to Ashdod, with deportations under way, prompting international condemnation, diplomatic rifts, and renewed scrutiny of Israel’s Gaza blockade.
Hundreds of activists detained by Israeli forces after a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza was intercepted have been transferred to an Israeli port, with deportations now under way, the BBC reports. Among them is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The first boats, involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) were stopped about 70 nautical miles off the Gaza coast in international waters and others closer. Reportedly, Israel has been policing this area but does not have jurisdiction there.
Israel said its navy told the boats to change course as they were "approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade", while the GSF described the interceptions as "illegal". The group said Israel's response was "not an act of defence", but "a brazen act of desperation".
It estimated 443 people were detained from the boats and alleged many were assaulted with water cannon. Israel said all those detained were "safe and in good health".
A number of countries have expressed concern over the incident. Turkey's foreign ministry condemned the interception as an "act of terrorism", and called for the "perpetrators of this attack" to be held accountable, while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the interception in international waters was "contrary to international law and violates the sovereignty of every nation whose flag was flown on the dozens of vessels in the flotilla".
In response, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has expelled all remaining Israeli diplomats from the country and denounced the interception as an "international crime by Netanyahu". Petro also terminated Colombia's free trade agreement with Israel, in place since 2020, and called for the release of two Colombians who were aboard the flotilla.
However, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised the attempt to reach Gaza, saying: "I continue to believe that all this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people."
Israel's Foreign Ministry posted footage from the interception showing Greta Thunberg sitting on the deck of a boat, being handed water and a jacket by a member of the Israeli military. Detained activists are being taken to the port of Ashdod, Israel said.
The Israeli government, which has branded the attempt to transport humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza a "provocation", said: "Greta and her friends are safe and healthy."
Amnesty International's Secretary General, Agnès Callamard said Israel's blockade on Gaza was "unlawful" and said the "decades-long impunity for Israel's blatant violations of international law must end".
Israel described the flotilla as "provocation yachts" and said one boat remained "at a distance" and would be intercepted if it approached.
That boat appeared to be Marinette, which the GSF said was still in communication and carrying six people on board. The flotilla's tracking system showed it on Thursday afternoon sailing in international waters, a distance from Gaza's coastline.
Israel said none of the boats entered the blockade area, though the GSF said one of its boats, Mikeno, may have entered Gaza's territorial waters, according to tracking data, but remained out of contact.
