DaysofPal – Israeli naval forces began operations on Monday to seize the “Global Steadfastness Flotilla” heading toward the Gaza Strip after the convoy departed from the Turkish coast last Thursday in a renewed attempt to challenge the blockade imposed on the territory.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, the Israeli naval commando unit Shayetet 13 initiated efforts to take control of the flotilla’s vessels. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that four Israeli warships approached the convoy and ordered crews to shut down their engines in preparation for interception.
Israeli media outlets stated that naval forces transferred several activists participating in the flotilla to a military vessel reportedly equipped as a floating detention facility ahead of their eventual transfer to the port of Ashdod.
However, a source within the flotilla told reporters that the interception of one ship would not halt the remainder of the convoy from continuing toward Gaza.
Earlier, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a preliminary security meeting on Sunday to discuss how to confront the flotilla, followed by plans for an operational meeting with military commanders to determine implementation mechanisms as the vessels were expected to reach the area within 48 hours.
In related remarks, the director of Al Jazeera’s Palestine bureau said the Israeli plan centered on intercepting the flotilla in international or economic waters before it could approach territorial waters. According to the report, Israel intended to use floating platforms and naval vessels to detain activists at sea in an effort to avoid transferring them to Israeli or foreign ports, unlike in previous incidents.
The report added that Israeli forces had deployed major naval reinforcements, including elite units and infantry forces, to carry out the operation. Israeli officials reportedly justified the deployment by citing concerns over the presence of what they described as “violent activists,” while seeking to avoid a repeat of the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, which resulted in deadly clashes.
An Al Jazeera correspondent aboard one of the flotilla vessels said participants had received direct threats of interception in international waters. According to the correspondent, Israeli plans included transferring activists to floating detention ships and preventing them from reaching any port.
Flotilla organizers denied any weapons were aboard the vessels and stressed that the mission was entirely peaceful and humanitarian.
The “Global Steadfastness Flotilla” set sail from the Turkish port of Marmaris with 54 vessels carrying hundreds of activists from approximately 70 countries, including doctors, lawyers, and journalists. Organizers described the convoy as part of an international initiative aimed at breaking the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007.
In the first official response from flotilla representatives, a spokesperson for the campaign described the Israeli operation as a “blatant violation of international law and maritime navigation rules,” arguing that the interception constituted a direct attack on a humanitarian mission.
The spokesperson held Israel fully responsible for the safety of all participants and called for urgent international action to hold Israeli authorities accountable.
The latest developments come amid repeated international attempts to challenge the naval blockade on Gaza, while human rights groups continue warning about the legal and humanitarian implications of intercepting civilian vessels in international waters and the risks of further escalation in the region.
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