Israeli naval forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters west of Cyprus on Monday, boarding at least one vessel and cutting communications with the convoy, according to activists. The operation marks the latest attempt to breach the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which departed from southwestern Turkey on Thursday with around 50 ships, reported on social media that four Israeli warships approached and began boarding operations. “Global Sumud Flotilla is under attack!” the group wrote on X, adding that Israeli forces were boarding the first boat in broad daylight. The flotilla’s tracker showed several vessels intercepted west of Cyprus.
Gorkem Duru, a member of the flotilla’s Turkey branch who was not on board, told AFP that at least two or three boats had been stopped, but some continued toward Gaza. “Communication links with the ships were cut off,” Duru said.
Israel Denounces Flotilla as Provocation
Earlier Monday, Israel vowed to prevent the convoy from reaching Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry posted on X that the flotilla was “a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called ‘humanitarian aid flotilla’ with no humanitarian aid.” The ministry named two Turkish groups—Mavi Marmara and IHH, the latter designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel—as participants, and called on all vessels to “change course and turn back immediately.”
The ministry further stated that the flotilla’s aim was to “serve Hamas, to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm and to obstruct progress on President Trump’s peace plan.” Under the ceasefire plan proposed by Trump, which took effect in October and has largely halted fighting in Gaza, the territory is to be fully demilitarised, including the disarmament of Hamas.
Israel rejected claims of aid shortages in Gaza, asserting that “more than 1.58 million tons of humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza” since October. Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under blockade since 2007. During the war, triggered by Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, the territory has suffered severe shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials, with Israel at times halting aid deliveries entirely.
The flotilla’s statement demanded “safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission,” warning that “normalisation of the occupation’s violence is a threat to us all.”
Previous Interceptions and European Involvement
This is the second flotilla interception within a month. On 30 April, Israeli forces stopped a previous convoy in international waters off Greece. Most activists were expelled to Europe, but two—Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila—were arrested and taken to Israel for questioning. They were detained in Ashkelon prison before being deported several days later. Rights groups called the arrests illegal and alleged abuse during detention.
The incident underscores ongoing tensions over maritime aid routes to Gaza, with European activists and governments closely watching. The flotilla’s departure from Turkey and interception near Cyprus highlight the Mediterranean’s role as a flashpoint in the conflict. For European readers, the involvement of Spanish and Brazilian nationals, as well as the use of Greek waters in previous operations, underscores the continent’s direct stake in the humanitarian and legal dimensions of the blockade.
As the situation develops, European governments face pressure to respond to what activists call “piracy” and to ensure safe passage for humanitarian missions. The European Union has repeatedly called for unimpeded aid access to Gaza, but member states remain divided on how to address Israeli actions in international waters.
