According to the voyage organizers, Israeli forces began intercepting a fleet of aid ships to Gaza on Wednesday evening, on local Wednesday evenings.
Several members of Global SUMUD Flotilla (GSF), an organization seeking to receive assistance in Gaza using ships across the Mediterranean, have been posted on social media saying Israel’s interception has begun.
“Our vessels are illegally intercepted,” the post on the GSF X account states. “The cameras are offline and the vessels are boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to check the safety and circumstances of all participants on board.”
The GSF previously said it had detected more than 20 unidentified vessels just three miles away from the fleet.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the Israeli Navy contacted the fleet and “please ask them to change courses.”
“Israel has approached the convoy’s aggressive combat zone and told them it is violating a legal naval blockade,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.
Here’s what we know about the fleet:
Who is involved and what is their purpose?
According to organizers, the global SUMUD Flotilla (GSF) consists of over 500 participants from dozens of countries.
The convoy departed from Barcelona, Spain on August 31, and was strengthened by other activist ships from other Mediterranean ports as they approached Gaza.
The fleet was aiming to deliver food, water and medicine to Gaza civilians in an attempt to break the maritime blockade of Israeli territory.
Among the participants were Spanish and Italian lawmakers, as well as Swedish activist Greta Samberg.
Israeli Foreign Ministry said it would not be allowed to reach Gaza, and argued that “necessary measures” were needed to prevent this.
The ministry said it repeatedly provided alternative routes to enter Gaza, including transfers through Israel’s port of Ashkelon.
However, Flotilla organizers told CNN that they would not accept offers to provide assistance to anyone other than intended recipients who are civilians in Gaza.
The GSF also said that some of their ships are targeted by drones, claiming that the attacks are part of a sustained Israeli campaign of threats.
Israeli forces did not respond to CNN requests for comments on the alleged drone attack, but Israeli Foreign Ministry said it found documents in Gaza that it “proves Hamas’ direct involvement.” The GSF dismissed these claims as “propaganda.”
In response to alleged attacks on the ship, Italy and Spain said they would send naval vessels to support the fleet and support potential rescue operations.
However, Spain told the ship would not enter Israel’s maritime exclusion zone off the coast of Gaza, and Italy told the GSF that the ship would remain at least 150 nautical miles from Gaza, according to Reuters.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also advised the people of fluids to endanger their safety by continuing their mission.
“There is no need to risk safety and enter the war zone to provide assistance to Gaza, which the Italian government could have provided in a few hours,” she said on September 24th.
Foreign activists have tried to deliver aid to Gaza in the past, but have been intercepted by Israeli forces or have been attacked in some form.
In May, an activist on aid ship said he was targeted by an Israeli drone in international waters off Malta.
Israeli forces have not denied involvement in the drone attack, and according to flight tracking website ADS-B Exchange, Israeli Air Force cargo planes have been picked up on flight trackers that have been circling waters near Malta for a long time before the attack.
And in 2010, Israeli forces attacked aid fleets in international waters, killing nine Turkish citizens, causing rage around the world.
Ten people died in 2014 from persistent wounds in the attack after four years in coma.
