DaysofPal – The Global Sumud Flotilla tracker confirmed Thursday that only four of the 44 boats that set sail for Gaza remain unaccounted for, with nearly all others marked as “intercepted” or “assumed intercepted” by the Israeli navy.
The vessels still believed to be sailing include the Summertime-Jong and the Shireen, both legal-support boats carrying lawyers, along with the Mikeno, reported to be the first flotilla vessel to enter Palestinian waters, and the Marinette.
Since Wednesday evening, Israeli naval forces have intercepted multiple ships from the “Steadfastness Flotilla” before they could reach Gaza, detaining dozens of foreign activists and aid workers.
Organizers said the flotilla, aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade of the besieged Strip, was attacked in international waters roughly 70 nautical miles from Gaza. The intercepted boats included the Spectre, Alma, and Sirius, with the status of their passengers still unclear.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday morning that activists from the flotilla were being transferred to Israel for processing and eventual deportation to Europe. Earlier, the ministry released a video showing Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg surrounded by armed soldiers on one of the seized vessels, as well as surveillance footage of Israeli forces boarding other boats. Israel has sought to justify the crackdown by alleging links between the flotilla and Hamas, a claim strongly rejected by flotilla organizers and human rights groups.
The flotilla, consisting of around 50 vessels, had been traveling in clusters spaced several miles apart, stretching over a distance of about 20 nautical miles. While Italian and Spanish naval vessels had accompanied the fleet earlier in its journey to provide humanitarian and safety support, they halted their escort when the flotilla reached 150 nautical miles from Gaza.
International criticism has mounted following the Israeli operation. Amnesty International called for the protection of the “Resilience Flotilla,” while the United Nations said any attack on the humanitarian mission was “unacceptable.” Protests erupted in several capitals following news of the arrests, underscoring the growing global backlash to Israel’s actions against the flotilla.
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