The final vessel of a 42-boat humanitarian flotilla heading to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli forces in the early hours of Friday morning, 42.5 nautical miles from the enclave’s coast. The flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), had set out to challenge Israel’s 16-year maritime blockade and was carrying parliamentarians, activists and legal experts, among them Greta Thunberg, reported The WP Times with reference to The Guardian.
A live broadcast late on Thursday showed the Polish-flagged sailing vessel Marinette still pushing towards Gaza despite official Israeli statements that the entire flotilla had already been stopped. Organisers said the initiative involved about 500 people, though Israel’s foreign ministry reported around 450 individuals were now in custody, with deportation procedures under way. Among them are 40 Italian citizens, including four MPs, who are expected to be repatriated on a scheduled flight.
Video footage revealed that Marinette was manned by six people: three Turkish nationals, one German, an Omani, and its Australian captain. In a video call with organisers, the captain declared their intent to continue, saying: “We have a bunch of very tough Turks onboard … we’ve got a lady from Oman and myself, and we’re just going to continue in the direction.” According to flotilla spokesperson Hannah Claire Smith, the yacht had rejoined the mission late, after being forced back to Barcelona due to adverse weather.
Smith suggested this delay may have allowed Marinette to come closer to Gaza than any previous attempt, before being intercepted. The boat’s position of 42.5 nautical miles was the nearest a humanitarian flotilla had approached since Israel imposed its naval blockade in 2009, with past efforts intercepted at distances greater than 70 miles. Earlier attempts to break the blockade have ended violently, most notably in 2010 when Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, killing ten Turkish activists.
GSF tracking also indicated another vessel, Mikeno, might have briefly crossed into Gaza’s territorial waters, stopping about 9 miles off the shore before losing contact. However, organisers admitted uncertainty. “It could be a tracker error or a technical issue with the monitoring,” Smith said. “We will only have confirmation after speaking with the Mikeno crew, which is impossible right now as they are currently being held by the Israelis.”
The incident underscores the ongoing tension surrounding the Gaza blockade and highlights the risks faced by international participants in efforts to challenge it. The flotilla’s interception, the closest breach attempt in more than a decade, raises renewed questions about maritime access to Gaza, the role of international solidarity campaigns, and the likely diplomatic consequences for countries whose citizens were detained.
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