Turkey calls interception 'a new act of piracy'

Israeli Navy intercepts vessels in Gaza-bound flotilla off Cyprus coast

Flotilla livestream abruptly ends after Israeli commandos board boat; Netanyahu tells Navy commander who intercepted boats that organizers failed to get desired publicity

The Israeli Navy on Monday was intercepting the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, just weeks after a previous flotilla was thwarted and two of its activists were detained.

More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their journey to Gaza’s shores.

Naval commandos boarded the first of Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessels at sea off the coast of Cyprus, a livestream showed on Monday, which then abruptly ended.

By mid afternoon, 16 vessels had been intercepted.

“Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and (Israeli) forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said on X.

“We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the commander of the Israeli Navy force that intercepted the flotilla that they managed to stop the ships with much less noise than the organizers intended.

“You are doing an outstanding job, both in the first flotilla and in this part as well, and are effectively thwarting a malicious plan intended to break the isolation we are imposing on Hamas terrorists in Gaza,” he said to the commander of the navy’s Missile Ship Fleet, the navy’s main surface warfare arm, speaking on the force’s radio.

“You are doing this with great success, and I must say also, quietly, and certainly with less publicity than our enemies expected,” Netanyahu said.

The conversation was part of Netanyahu’s visit with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Eyal Zamir to the navy’s operational headquarters at the Kirya in Tel Aviv. They also received a briefing from Navy chief Vice Adm. Eyal Harel, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Turkey condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla, stating it “constitutes a new act of piracy.”

“Israel must immediately cease its intervention and unconditionally release the detained flotilla participants,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said, adding that “the process is being closely monitored in cooperation with other countries.”

Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that his country’s embassies in Israel, Turkey, and Cyprus have asked Israel to ensure the safety of the Italian citizens on the flotilla.

Earlier, Israel warned the “participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately.”

“Once again, a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called ‘humanitarian aid flotilla’ with no humanitarian aid,” the Foreign Ministry posted on X. The Israeli military declined to comment on the ongoing operation.

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.

During that flotilla, 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 and sent most of the 175 activists to Europe, but arrested two of them, who were held for 10 days before being deported.

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.