DaysofPal- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued a strong condemnation of the Israeli attack on ships from the Freedom Flotilla heading toward the besieged Gaza Strip. The incident occurred early Thursday morning near the Greek coast of Crete as the fleet attempted to breach the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released Thursday, Hamas said that the operation by Israeli naval forces was “piracy” carried out far from Gaza’s shores. It accused the Israeli government of committing a crime in full view of the international community without deterrence or accountability.
The group called for global condemnation of the incident, particularly highlighting the detention of civilian activists aboard the vessels. It urged immediate international action to secure their release and held Israel fully responsible for their safety.
Hamas extended its salute to the activists on board the “Resilience Flotilla 2,” urging them to remain steadfast against these terrorist attacks. The movement emphasized that these missions serve a noble humanitarian message by exposing the starvation policies and the Israeli genocidal aggression faced by Palestinians in Gaza over the past two years.
According to reports, Israeli naval forces intercepted multiple vessels in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday. Approximately 21 ships were seized, and around 175 activists were detained and transferred to Israel.
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the size of the flotilla. Israeli media reported that roughly 100 vessels carrying about 1,000 activists from various countries were involved. However, organizers from the “Global Steadfastness Flotilla” stated that the convoy included more than 60 boats with participants representing 39 nations.
Officials from the flotilla’s crisis coordination team said that 39 vessels departed from Spain on April 12, later joined by an additional 20 boats in Italy. A total of 59 vessels then set sail toward Gaza on April 26.
The flotilla also reportedly included two monitoring ships affiliated with international organizations such as Open Arms and Greenpeace.
Earlier in the week, a separate mission known as “Spring 2026” departed from the Italian island of Sicily. Organized under the umbrella of the Global Steadfastness Flotilla, the initiative aimed to challenge the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian assistance following final preparations.
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