Israel seizes Gaza aid flotilla
Shafaq News- Middle East
Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on Monday after the convoy of 54 boats and ships carrying more than 500 activists sailed from Turkiye toward the Gaza Strip in an attempt to challenge the blockade on the enclave, according Israel’s Channel 12.
The Israeli navy reportedly took full control of the fleet, while activists will be transferred to a floating prison before being moved to Ashdod port.
Organizers of the Sumud Flotilla called for a safe passage for “ legal, non-violent humanitarian mission,” urging governments to act to stop what they called “acts of piracy” aimed at maintaining the blockade on Gaza.
RELEASE THE #FLOTILLA ACTIVISTSIsraele, intercettando alcune imbarcazioni della missione umanitaria in acque internazionali e sequestrando gli equipaggi, dà prova ancora una volta del suo infinito disprezzo per il diritto internazionale e per l’umanità.Pretendiamo una presa… pic.twitter.com/ZYCgNS2blY
— Ilaria Salis (@SalisIlaria) May 18, 2026
On April 30, Israeli naval forces intercepted and boarded the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound aid convoy of around 58 vessels, in international waters near Crete.
Israel has maintained a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007. Ongoing hostilities since October 7, 2023, have killed 72,769 people and wounded 172,704 others, most of them women and children, according to Gaza health authorities.
