Barcelona, Spain (AP) – Activists on board A fleet of ships sailing towards Gaza Late Wednesday, the Israeli Navy said they began intercepting their ships as they were approaching. Besieged Palestine territory.
Global Samud Flochira, Greta Samburg, Mandra Mandella, grandson of Nelson Mandellaand several European lawmakers, consisting of nearly 50 boats and 500 activists, have a symbolic amount of humanitarian assistance. The mission to break the blockade of Israel’s coastal areas remains a must have been that mission; Reach the Palestinians.
Greg Stalker, a veteran American on one of the fleet’s boats, said about 12 naval vessels with the transponder turned off had approached it.
“They are calling our ship now and telling us to turn off the engine and wait for further instructions, or we’ll be confiscated and face consequences,” he said in a volatile video posted to Instagram when he wore a Red Life jacket.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it reached the fleet to ask the Navy to contact fluids to change courses and alert them to approach “active combat zones.” It repeated the offer to transfer aid to Gaza via other channels. These calls were echoed by other European governments, including Italy. Italy sent naval ships to chase the fleet for part of the journey, but stopped as they approached the coast of Gaza.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed Israeli intervention and said it was expected to take two to three hours. He told state TV Rai that the boat will be towed to Israel’s port of Ashdod and activists will be deported in the coming days. He also said that Israeli forces are being told to “not use violence.”
The fleet enters the “danger zone”
The ship sailed in Egypt’s northern international waters on Wednesday, entering what activists and others called “danger zones” or “high risk zones.” While still in international waters, it is an area where the Israeli Navy has stopped other boats trying to break blockades in the past, and its fleets are warned not to intersect.
Overnight, activists said two Israeli warships actively approached the two boats, circling, and hampered communication, including live cameras on board.
“It was a threatening act. They wanted us to meet them,” said Rishi Proenza, another activist who was aboard the Sirius, the ship that was targeted along with Alma.
After being closed overnight, the military ships eventually left, and the fleet continued its journey, broadcasting live cameras from many boats.
Live streamed voyage
By Wednesday afternoon, the atmosphere seemed more relaxed on several decks of yachts that aired the journey through a live stream of 24/7. Some activists raised a message of solidarity with the Gaza people and chanted “Free Palestine!” With the camera. You can hear the music playing in the background. Flotilla attendees are flooded with videos of voyages and constant updates on social media.
If not disturbed, the fleet, which began its journey from the port of Barcelona in Spain a month ago, was to reach the coast of Gaza by Thursday morning, the group said.
But activists said it was unlikely and they expected Israeli authorities to stop them at any time, as they did in past attempts.
As the night fell, they saw several unidentified ships approaching them via radar, placing the best of their lives ahead of the imminent arrival of Israeli forces. As Israelis approached with bright light, some activists were able to broadcast the moment from their smartphones before throwing their devices into the water.
Israel and other governments urge them to turn back
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saa called the fleet a provocation and warned him to stop aid and move it to Gaza via other channels. “It’s not too late,” he posted to X.
The Israeli government has accused some of its fleet members of the country of being linked to Hamas, providing little evidence to support that claim. Activists strongly rejected the charges, saying Israel was trying to justify a potential attack on them.
European governments including Spain and Italy, It sent naval ships on part of their journey, escorting the fleet on part of their journey, urging activists to turn back and avoid conflict. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said late Tuesday that the actions of the fleet risked damaging US President Donald. Trump’s recent proposal to resolve the war in GazaThe Spanish Prime Minister defended them.
“If the Israeli government allows for aid entry, it must be remembered that it is a humanitarian mission,” Pedro Sanchez told reporters Wednesday. Participating Spaniards will benefit from full diplomatic protection, he added.
“They pose no threat or danger to Israel,” he said.
What International Maritime Law says
The United Nations Marine Treaty provides that states have only jurisdiction of up to 12 nautical miles (19 kilometers) from the coast. Generally, states do not have the right to seize ships in international waters, with armed conflicts being the exception to this.
Yubal Shani, an international law expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that Israel’s Gaza blockade was “militarily justified” – intended to eliminate weapons – and as long as the ship is intended to break the siege, Israel can intercept the vessel after an advance warning. Whether blockades are militarily justified, and the legality of blockade is the point of competition.
However, the fleet argues that they are civilian unarmed groups and that the passage of humanitarian assistance is guaranteed by international law.
Omar Schatz, an expert in Israeli international law who taught at the PO University of Science in Paris and co-litigated previous fleet cases before the Supreme Court of Israel, told The Associated Press that the Gaza dispute was both “an international waters off Gaza from high season to Gaza.”
“If the basic needs of the population are not provided by the right to occupation, we have the right to provide humanitarian assistance, albeit under certain conditions,” Schatz said. For example, Israel has the right to search on a ship carrying ships to carry ships. This verifies the cargo, as well as the aid of trucks across Gaza on land.
