Another fleet of Gaza-bound aid ship carrying journalists, activists and medical professionals was intercepted by Israeli authorities, organizers said on social media days after Israel detained dozens of activists in the global SUMUD fleet.
The Conscience Ships and the ships to the Gaza Convoy, part of an organization called the Freedom Frotira Union, intercepted local time Wednesday morning while approaching Gaza, organizers said in a social media post.
The FFC said Israeli forces intercepted all nine of the fleet’s ships just after 6am local time, about 120 nautical miles from Gaza.
“The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters. Our fleet does not cause any harm,” the group said in an Instagram post.
“We provide important assistance worth more than US$110,000 in medicine, respiratory and nutritional supplements directed at starving hospitals in Gaza.”
According to the FFC, the eight passengers are US citizens.
A live video stream from the “Gaza Sunbird,” one of the ships the FFC said had intercepted, appeared to show Israeli security forces on board as their crew sat in the rear and attacked the camera. After a while, the stream went offline.
Israeli Foreign Ministry called the fleet’s efforts “another futile attempt to violate a legitimate naval blockade” and said “nothing was done.” “The ships and passengers will be moved to Israeli ports,” the MFA said, adding that they will be “quickly deported.”
Last week, Israeli forces intercepted dozens of boats sailing alongside another Gaza-bound convoy, the global Sumud Flotilla. Participants, including Swedish activist Greta Samberg, were detained and deported to Israel.
