Activist flotilla leaves Turkey for Gaza weeks after Israel intercepted previous convoy

Over 50 vessels carrying 500 activists — including pair released earlier this week after being arrested on similar flotilla two weeks ago — head to Strip, with Israel readying for interception

MARMARIS, Turkey — Dozens of boats carrying activists and symbolic aid for Palestinians set sail from Turkey’s Mediterranean coast on Thursday in the latest attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza — just weeks after Israel intercepted a previous flotilla and detained two activists.

More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their journey to Gaza’s shores. Channel 12 said the flotilla is expected to arrive around Monday or Tuesday next week.

The Israeli Navy is set to intercept the boats, and in the past has done so well before the activists were able to get close to Gaza’s coast.

Israel has previously dismissed the flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amount of symbolic aid they had been carrying with them to Israel or international organizations to be taken into the Strip and distributed via official channels.

The Global Sumud Flotilla will be the third initiative in a year aiming at breaking an Israeli blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, which has suffered severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel since the Palestinian terror group invaded Israel in October 2023, sparking two years of war in the coastal enclave.

The flotilla is being led by Turkish aid organization IHH, which is designated in Israel as a terror organization and which organized the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza.

The Navy is preparing for the possibility that the activists will be violent and resist its efforts to intercept them should they continue on their course to Gaza, an Israeli security told reporters.

In the Mavi Marmara incident, 10 Turkish activists were killed in a violent confrontation with Israeli naval commandos aboard a ship that aimed to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Israeli forces intercepted the second flotilla in international waters off Greece on April 30, expelling most of the 175 activists to Europe, but arrested two of them, who were held for 10 days.

Channel 12 said those two activists managed to make it back to Turkey in time after they were released by Israel on Sunday, and boarded the flotilla that departed on Thursday.

Last month’s Israeli interception incident drew protests and condemnation from several countries and raised questions about what any nation can legally do to enforce a blockade in international waters. Israeli officials said they had to act early because of the high number of boats involved.

Israel took the two activists — Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila — back to Israel where they were interrogated and detained for several days. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for “kidnapping” their citizens.

Organizers said the latest efforts involve a regrouped fleet following Israel’s interception, joined by additional boats. Nearly 500 activists from 45 countries are said to be taking part.

Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving about 50 vessels and some 500 activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and several European lawmakers.

Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, who claimed Israeli authorities abused them. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.

Previous efforts to breach the blockade have also failed. The last time an activist boat succeeded in reaching the strip was in 2008.