Israel to deport intercepted flotilla activists, including Greta Thunberg, to Europe
Source: France 24 – International breaking news, top stories and headlines
“Hamas-Sumud passengers on their yachts are making their way safely and peacefully to Israel, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin. The passengers are safe and in good health,” the ministry said on X, after Israeli naval forces intercepted several vessels sailing towards Gaza.
On Wednesday, a video from the Israeli foreign ministry showed the flotilla’s most prominent passenger – Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg – sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers.
“Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port,” the ministry said on X. “Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.”
Organisers said Israeli forces had stopped 19 of the flotilla’s boats, but that around 30 of them were still sailing towards Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which is carrying medicine and food to the war-ravaged enclave, consists of more than 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists.
Its progress across the Mediterranean had drawn international attention as countries including Turkey, Spain and Italy deployed boats or drones in case their nationals required assistance – even as Israel repeatedly warned the flotilla to turn back.
Turkey’s foreign ministry denounced Israel’s “attack” on the flotilla as “an act of terror” that endangered the lives of innocent civilians. Spontaneous protests broke out in Italy in response to the raid.
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Boats intercepted inside zone policed by Israel
The flotilla is the latest sea-borne attempt to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza, much of which has been devastated by almost two years of war.
Organisers condemned Wednesday’s raid as a “war crime”, alleging the military used aggressive tactics including water cannon, though no injuries were reported.
“Multiple vessels … were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” the organisers said in a statement.
The flotilla also accused Israel’s navy of attempting to sink the Maria Cristina. Reuters could not independently verify the claim, and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ankara said it had begun steps to secure the release of Turkish and other nationals on board, while Spain urged Israel to respect the safety and rights of the activists.
“Tonight’s reports are very concerning. This is a peaceful mission to shine a light on a horrific humanitarian catastrophe,” Ireland’s Foreign Minister, Simon Harris, said on X.
The boats were about 70 nautical miles from Gaza when they were intercepted, inside a zone Israel polices to prevent any vessels approaching the enclave. Organisers said their communications had been scrambled, including a live camera feed from some boats.
In a Telegram post early Thursday, the flotilla reported that another vessel, Adara, had also been boarded, with the fate of those on board unconfirmed. According to the flotilla’s own ship-tracking data, nine boats in total had been intercepted or stopped. Organisers vowed the mission “will continue undeterred”.
Israel’s navy had earlier warned that the flotilla was entering an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, offering instead to transfer any aid through official channels into Gaza.
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Trying to break the blockade
The flotilla had hoped to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if not intercepted.
It was the second confrontation that day. Before dawn, organisers said two Israeli warships encircled flotilla boats and scrambled their communications.
Last week, the mission reported being attacked by drones dropping stun grenades and itching powder, which caused damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment, but has said it will use all means to stop the boats, insisting its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas in Gaza.
Italy and Spain deployed naval vessels in case of rescue or humanitarian needs, but halted their shadowing once the flotilla came within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of Gaza. Turkish drones also monitored the convoy.
Italy and Greece issued a joint appeal urging Israel not to harm activists and asked the flotilla to hand its cargo to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza – a plea the organisers rejected.
Israeli officials dismissed the mission as a stunt. “This systematic refusal [to hand over the aid] demonstrates that the objective is not humanitarian but provocative,” Jonathan Peled, Israel’s ambassador to Italy, wrote on X.
Past attempts to deliver aid
At a press conference on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the UN’s top expert on aleinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla would constitute “a violation of international law”, since Israel had no jurisdiction over waters off Gaza.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade since Hamas seized Gaza in 2007, and several previous attempts to deliver aid by sea have been mounted.
In 2010, nine activists were killed when Israeli forces stormed a flotilla of six ships carrying 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries.
In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as it neared Gaza.
Israel launched its current offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. The war has since killed over 65,000 people in Gaza, local health authorities say.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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