Israeli forces intercepted a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza in international waters, detaining hundreds of activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, in a military operation that sparked international condemnation and raised legal questions about maritime blockades.
The incident, which occurred approximately 75 miles off the Gaza coast, targeted the Global Sumud Flotilla—a coalition of more than 40 civilian vessels carrying around 500 parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists from dozens of countries attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory.
While Israel confirmed it stopped most vessels, one boat, the French-flagged Mikeno, was reported to have potentially reached Palestinian territorial waters near Gaza’s coast before contact was lost, marking what would be the closest any unauthorized humanitarian mission has come to Gaza since Israel imposed its naval blockade in 2009.
The Global Sumud flotilla (GSF) reported that Israeli forces stopped 41 of the 42 vessels it was tracking online. On Thursday evening, GSF livestreamed a video on Instagram of the vessel Marinette, which was still navigating.
GSF stated that “Marinette is still sailing strong,” though the vessel appeared to be farther offshore and parallel to the coast of Egypt.
The Interception
The confrontation began late Wednesday when approximately 20 Israeli naval ships approached the flotilla in international waters north of Egypt, ordering the boats to turn off their engines. Live footage from the flotilla showed passengers seated in a semi-circle wearing lifejackets as they awaited interception before broadcasts cut off abruptly.
According to flotilla organizers, an estimated 443 volunteers were “forcibly taken from their vessels” during the operation. Activists reported aggressive tactics, including water cannons and stun grenades deployed against nonviolent protesters.
“Our vessels are being illegally intercepted,” a message on the flotilla’s Instagram page read as the operation unfolded. “Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants onboard.”
Israeli officials presented a different account, releasing footage showing Thunberg sitting calmly on a deck surrounded by soldiers, being handed water and a jacket. The foreign ministry stated all detained individuals were “safe and in good health” and would be transferred to the Israeli port of Ashdod for deportation procedures.
Conflicting Perspectives
The incident highlighted sharply divergent interpretations of international law and the mission’s purpose. Israel maintained it was enforcing a lawful naval blockade against what it characterized as a provocation.
“None of the Hamas-Sumud provocation yachts has succeeded in its attempt to enter an active combat zone or breach the lawful naval blockade,” Israel’s foreign ministry stated, adding that one remaining vessel “remains at a distance” with a warning that any approach would similarly be prevented.
Flotilla participants and human rights organizations vehemently disputed Israel’s characterization and legal standing.
Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator for Adalah, the human rights organization representing the flotilla, called the interception “an abduction from the high seas, from international waters where Israel has no jurisdiction whatsoever.” She noted that “aggressive tactics only add to the illegality of this interception.”
In a pre-recorded video released after her detention, Thunberg stated: “If you are watching this video, I have been abducted and taken against my will by Israeli forces. Our humanitarian mission was nonviolent and abiding by international law.”
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, condemned the operation as “a calculated act of intimidation intended to punish and silence critics of Israel’s genocide and its unlawful blockade on Gaza.” She emphasized that “the decades-long impunity for Israel’s blatant violations of international law must end.”
International Reaction
The interception triggered diplomatic repercussions and street protests across multiple continents:
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro took the strongest action, expelling all remaining Israeli diplomats and terminating Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel, denouncing the interception as an “international crime.”
- Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan condemned what he called “thuggery directed at the global Sumud Flotilla,” while Turkey’s foreign ministry labeled the interception “an act of terror” that endangered civilian lives.
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa demanded the release of South Africans aboard, including Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela.
- British authorities expressed being “very concerned” and had contacted Israeli authorities to “make clear we expect the situation to be resolved safely.”
- Spain’s labour minister and deputy prime minister, Yolanda Díaz, described the interception as “a crime against international law” and demanded immediate release of detainees, adding, “The EU needs to break off relations with Israel right now.”
Spontaneous protests erupted in Italy, Greece, Germany, Tunisia, Turkey, Belgium, Athens, Buenos Aires, and Berlin. Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, called a general strike for Friday in solidarity with Gaza, citing the “abandonment” of Italian workers “in open international waters.”
Legal and Historical Context
The naval blockade was imposed in 2009 as an intensification of Israel’s 2007 blockade of Gaza following Hamas’s seizure of control of the territory. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the blockade as “a direct contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law.”
Yuval Shany, an expert on international law at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, explained that as long as Israel’s blockade of Gaza is “militarily justified” and a ship intends to break the siege, Israel can intercept the vessel after prior warning. However, the legality of the blockade and whether it remains “militarily justified” remain points of contention.
The flotilla organizers argue they represent a civilian, unarmed group whose passage of humanitarian aid is guaranteed under international law. The incident recalls the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, where 10 Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos raiding an aid flotilla headed toward Gaza.
As the detained activists face deportation proceedings, and with one vessel potentially remaining in communication, the standoff continues to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the deep international divisions over Israel’s blockade policy.
