Israeli forces intercept Gaza-bound flotilla near Cyprus

by · UPI

May 18 (UPI) -- Pro-Palestinian activists said Monday that Israeli forces intercepted a fleet of boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as they were off the coast of Cyprus.

The Israeli forces boarded the flotilla of more than 50 vessels about 250 nautical miles from Gaza, the BBC reported. One by one, activists on the boats posted messages, photos and videos on X as forces intercepted them Monday.

The group of activists, operating as the Global Sumud Flotilla, said they sought "to break the illegal siege on Gaza and open a humanitarian corridor." The flotilla departed Turkey's coast on the Mediterranean on Thursday.

"We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission," the group said in a post on X. "Governments must act now to stop these illegal acts [of] piracy meant to maintain Israel's genocidal siege on Gaza. Normalization of the occupation's violence is a threat to us all."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the activists of not actually carrying humanitarian aid. The ministry also said two Turkish organizations Israel has designated as terrorist organizations -- Mavi Marmara and the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation -- were part of the flotilla.

"Israel calls on all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately," the ministry said, as reported by The Times of Israel.

Israeli forces intercepted another group of more than 20 vessels tied to the Global Sumud Flotilla in April, this time off the coast of Crete. At that time, Israel detained about 175 activists from the vessels.

Israel imposed a maritime blockade on Gaza in 2009 in what the government said is an effort to block weapons from entering the enclave.

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