Israeli forces board Gaza-bound flotilla near Cyprus, activists say

Israeli forces have intercepted a flotilla of more than 50 boats carrying aid for Gaza in international waters near Cyprus and detained hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said on Monday that its fleet was being boarded in an "illegal, high-seas aggression" about 250 nautical miles (460km) from Gaza, which is under an Israeli maritime blockade. All the boats had been intercepted as of Tuesday evening, according to its tracking data.

The GSF also posted videos it said showed commandos firing at one boat. Israel's foreign ministry said live ammunition was not fired.

It has accused the flotilla of being a "provocation" seeking to help the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

Last month, Israeli forces intercepted 22 boats from the same flotilla near Crete.

In that incident, 181 activists on board were detained, all but two of whom were released on the Greek island the next day following widespread international condemnation.

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian national Thiago Ávila were taken back to Israel for questioning and deported after spending 10 days in custody.

The flotilla's remaining boats then sailed to the Turkish port of Marmaris, where 54 boats departed last Thursday and headed south-east towards Gaza.

On Tuesday, the GSF said that "428 unarmed civilians from more than 40 countries have been illegally kidnapped" by Israel's military.

In a statement, it said its closest vessel, Ramle (Sirius), reached around 80 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza before intercepted by an Israeli vessel.

Just after 10:30 in Cyprus (07:30 GMT) on Monday, live video broadcast on the GSF's website showed armed commandos on a raiding craft approaching a sailboat, then boarding it as the passengers raised their hands.

"Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and [Israeli] forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight," the GSF's organisers said in a statement.

"We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission," it added. "Governments must act now to stop these illegal acts or piracy meant to maintain Israel's genocidal siege on Gaza."

At 21:30 Cyprus time on Tuesday, tracking data on the GSF's website suggested that Israeli forces had intercepted all of the flotilla's boats.

The GSF's organisers also alleged on Tuesday afternoon that at least five of its boats had been shot at by Israeli forces.

Live-streamed video posted online showed activists on the sailboat Girolama shouting, "Why are you shooting?" at commandos on a raiding craft moving alongside them, as a number of shots ring out. More shots are heard as some of the activists follow instructions from a commando to move to the front of the boat with their hands raised.

"At no point was live ammunition fired," the Israeli foreign ministry's spokesman said.

"Following multiple warnings, non-lethal means were employed toward the vessel - not toward protesters - as a warning. No protesters were injured during this event."

The hundreds of detained activists are being transported by Israeli naval vessels to the Israeli port of Ashdod, according to the GSF and Israeli media reports.

About 40 Turkish nationals were on board the intercepted vessels, the GSF said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he condemned in the strongest terms Israel's "piracy and banditry" against what he described as the "voyagers of hope".

The sister of the Republic of Ireland's President, Catherine Connolly, was one of 12 Irish citizens detained by Israel, according to the GSF.

Speaking to reporters in London after meeting King Charles III on Monday, Connolly said she has not spoken to her sister Margaret and did not have any details about the interception.

"It seems like this happened in international waters and it's a cause of worry really, and I'm very proud of my sister but I'm worried about her," she said.

Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin said that what had happened was "absolutely unacceptable" and "wrong", adding that people had a right to protest and take part in a mission to highlight the "shocking" humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Hamas official Basem Naim accused Israel of "state terrorism and systematic undermining of the entire international order", according to AFP news agency.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told the commander of the Israeli naval forces by radio on Monday that they were "doing an outstanding job", according to a transcript released by his office.

"You are doing this with great success, and I must say also quietly, and certainly with less prominence than our enemies expected - so, heartfelt congratulations," he said.

Israel's foreign ministry had earlier vowed that it would not allow any breach of its blockade of Gaza, which it insisted was lawful, and called on the flotilla to turn back.

"Once again, a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called 'humanitarian aid flotilla' with no humanitarian aid," a post on X said.

"This time, two violent Turkish groups - Mavi Marmara and IHH, the latter designated as a terrorist organisation - are part of the provocation," it added.

The IHH was one of the organisers of an aid flotilla that attempted to breach the Gaza blockade in 2010. Israeli commandos raided a Turkish boat that was participating in the flotilla, Mavi Marmara, and killed 10 Turkish activists during clashes on board.

The GSF said there were no Turkish-flagged vessels in its flotilla and that it had no affiliation to those who were on Mavi Marmara.

The Israeli foreign ministry also claimed that the purpose of the latest GSF flotilla was to "serve Hamas, to divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm, and to obstruct progress on [US] President Trump's peace plan".

The US Treasury Department made a similar allegation on Tuesday, when it imposed sanctions against four people associated with what it called the "pro-Hamas flotilla".

The GSF said the activists on board were carrying food, baby formula and medical aid for Palestinians in Gaza, where living conditions are dire and most of the 2.1 million population is displaced, despite the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas last October.

The Israeli foreign ministry described Gaza as "flooded with aid", saying more than 1.5 million tonnes of aid and thousands of tonnes of medical supplies had entered the territory over the past seven months.

The UN said last week that many displaced families in Gaza were still forced to shelter in overcrowded tents or severely damaged structures due to the absence of safer alternatives.

Access to basic services remained limited, with inconsistent availability of clean water and impaired waste management systems that could not meaningfully address public health concerns, including those linked to pests and rodents, it added.

The UN also said humanitarian operations continued to be undermined by restrictions on the import of critical spare parts, back-up generators and other equipment, as well as shortages of essential inputs, including fuel and engine oil.

It noted that only 86% of the humanitarian supplies initially approved by Israeli authorities for entry into Gaza in April were ultimately offloaded at border crossings. The remaining supplies were returned to their points of origin.

The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 72,770 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.