A group of vessels attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Wednesday, the coalition behind the mission said. It marked the second such interception in less than a week.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international network of pro-Palestinian activist groups, said its convoy was “hijacked” while on a peaceful mission to deliver aid to Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
The coalition organizes civilian maritime missions aimed at challenging the blockade and providing direct relief to Palestinians in the enclave.
According to Israel’s foreign ministry, the vessels and passengers were safely transferred to an Israeli port and would be deported promptly.
“Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing,” the ministry said in a statement on X.
The FFC, however, condemned the interception, saying, “The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters. Our flotilla poses no harm.”
It added that participants, including humanitarians, doctors, and journalists from around the world, were being held “in unknown conditions.”
The flotilla carried more than $110,000 worth of medical and nutritional supplies, including medicines, respiratory equipment, and food for Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals, according to the group’s Instagram account.
Last week, Israeli forces also intercepted a separate aid convoy, the Global Sumud Flotilla, detaining more than 450 activists and seizing around 40 vessels attempting to deliver supplies to Gaza.
Gaza’s health authorities say about 67,000 people have been killed and large parts of the territory devastated during Israel’s ongoing assault, which began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
