October 2, 2025
A screen grab shows activists aboard a Global Sumud Flotilla vessel raising their hands to prove they were unarmed, as Israeli naval forces continue attack vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla sailing toward Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, in the Mediterranean Sea on November 02, 2025. [Global Sumud Flotilla – Anadolu Agency]
Israeli naval forces attacked an international aid flotilla bound for the besieged Gaza Strip and detained 223 activists on board, organizers said on Thursday, Anadolu reports.
The Global Sumud Flotilla shared on the US social media company Instagram the names and nationalities of 223 activists aboard the 15 of attacked vessels.
The activists aboard the ships attacked by Israel were of various nationalities, including Spaniards, Italians, Brazilians, Turks, Greeks, Americans, Germans, Swedes, British, and French citizens, and many others.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said through the US social media company X that the detained activists are on their way to Israel’s Ashdod Port, from which they will be deported to Europe.
The official flotilla tracker showed that 21 vessels have been attacked by the Israeli forces, as 23 others continue their way to Gaza.
According to the tracker, the Mikeno vessel has entered Gaza’s territorial waters, however, the tracking signal was lost with the vessel when it was about 9.3 nautical miles from Gaza.
According to Erdem Ozveren, a Turkish activist from the global mission, their vessel is less than 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) away from Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces surrounded the vessels as they sailed toward Gaza to challenge a years-long Israeli blockade. Activists reported signal jamming and communication cut aboard most of the boats.
Several activists posted videos on social media showing Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy and ordering them to change course.
“We are being attacked right now by the Zionist (Israeli) army,” the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) said on the US social media company X’s platform. “Some ships have already been intercepted and a state of emergency has been declared aboard all vessels.
“High Alert. Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline, and vessels have been boarded by military personnel.”
Violence
The committee accused Israel of using violence against the activists, saying naval forces rammed one ship, deployed water cannons, and forcibly boarded vessels while “brutally mistreating peaceful detainees from 50 countries around the world.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that some activists were detained and would be moved to an Israeli port.
The ministry said naval forces had reached the flotilla and ordered activists to divert to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel for inspection before aid could be transferred into Gaza.
Israel’s Channel 13, citing sources, said the operation to seize the flotilla would continue until Thursday.
Aid mission
The aid flotilla reached less than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) from Gaza before being attacked by the Israeli Navy.
Activists spotted more than 20 Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy, with the navy ordering them to change course.
A spokesman said the approaching Israeli boats were clearly moving to impose a blockade on the flotilla.
The attack came as the convoy already passed the point at which the Madleen and Handala ships were also attacked by Israel in June and July.
Livestream footage from the flotilla showed activists donning life vests as the Israeli boats approached the vessels.
The Israeli raid came despite appeals by international organizations, including Amnesty International, for the protection of the aid flotilla. The UN also warned that any attack on the convoy would be unacceptable.
Israel, as the occupying power, has previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported activists on board.
The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that more than 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million, for nearly 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.
Israeli navy storms ships from Gaza-bound aid flotilla
October 2, 2025
A screen grab shows Israeli soldiers boarding a vessel from the Global Sumud Flotilla, as Israeli naval forces continue attack vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla sailing toward Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, in the Mediterranean Sea on September 02, 2025. [Global Sumud Flotilla – Anadolu Agency]
The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, said on Wednesday evening that the Israeli navy stormed six ships, assaulted activists, and arrested dozens as some vessels neared the enclave’s coast.
This was stated by the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza and the flotilla organisers through their accounts on X and Facebook, up to 21:30 GMT.
Around 50 ships are taking part in the flotilla, moving in groups separated by a few nautical miles. Activists on board said that the distance between the leading vessels and those at the rear reached about 20 miles.
According to the organisers, the Israeli navy had boarded six ships by 21:30 GMT. These included vessels at the front of the flotilla that were closest to the Gaza coast.
Four of the seized ships were named as Alma, Surius, Adara and Deir Yassin. Organisers said they were raided illegally in international waters after their communication systems were deliberately damaged.
Turkey condemned the Israeli operation, describing it as a “war crime”. Turkish officials said the raid on civilian vessels in international waters violated international law and pledged to raise the issue with the United Nations and other international bodies.
Meanwhile, Spain announced that it had set up a special monitoring unit to follow developments related to the flotilla. The Spanish government said the unit would observe the situation closely and coordinate with international partners to ensure the safety of civilians on board.
Israeli military intercepts Gaza aid flotilla
Reuters/Rome/Athens
Boats had expected to reach Gaza on Thursday
Reuters/Rome/Athens
Published on October 01, 2025
A screengrab from a live video footage shows crew members sitting aboard the Gaza-bound Aurora vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, October 1, 2025. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
A screengrab from a live video footage shows crew members sitting aboard the Gaza-bound Aurora vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, October 1, 2025. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
A screengrab from a live footage video shows crew of a Gaza-bound vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, put their hands up as they are intercepted by Israeli security forces, on Wednesday. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
A screengrab from a live video footage shows crew members sitting in a circle aboard the Gaza-bound Alma vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, on Wednesday. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
Flotilla is latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza
A screengrab from a live video footage shows crew members sitting aboard the Gaza-bound Aurora vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, October 1, 2025. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
A screengrab from a live video footage shows crew members sitting aboard the Gaza-bound Aurora vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, October 1, 2025. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
A screengrab from a live footage video shows crew of a Gaza-bound vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, put their hands up as they are intercepted by Israeli security forces, on Wednesday. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
A screengrab from a live video footage shows crew members sitting in a circle aboard the Gaza-bound Alma vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, on Wednesday. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
Flotilla is latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza
Organisers say unidentified vessels approached, military came on board
Boats had expected to reach Gaza on Thursday
Israeli military personnel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza and boarded its boats as it approached the war-ravaged enclave.
Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover.
"Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board," organisers of the flotilla said in a post on X.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back. It is within 90 nautical miles of the war-ravaged Strip, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.
A live video feed from one of the boats in the flotilla showed passengers in life vests sitting on deck.
It is not clear if all the boats had been intercepted or stopped. Some passengers said their vessels continued to advance.
Organisers remained defiant. "We will not be intimidated by threats, harassment, or efforts to protect Israel's illegal siege on Gaza," they said in an earlier statement.
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment about intercepting the vessels.
The Israeli foreign ministry earlier said its navy had reached out to the flotilla to warn it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked them to change course.
The ministry said that it reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.
It is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war. The flotilla had been hoping to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.
This was the second time the flotilla was approached on Wednesday. Before dawn, the mission's organisers said two Israeli "warships" had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla's boats. All navigation and communication devices went down in what one organiser on board described as a "cyber attack". A video post on the flotilla's Instagram page showed the silhouette of what appeared to be a military vessel with a gun turret near the civilian boats.
Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the flotilla, but could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was taken. Last week the flotilla was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas in the coastal enclave. Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also followed the boats.
Italy and Greece on Wednesday jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over its aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza - a plea the flotilla has previously rejected.
At the press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla "would be yet another violation of international law, the law of the sea" since Israel had no legal jurisdiction on waters off Gaza.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.
In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.
Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover.
"Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board," organisers of the flotilla said in a post on X.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back. It is within 90 nautical miles of the war-ravaged Strip, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.
A live video feed from one of the boats in the flotilla showed passengers in life vests sitting on deck.
It is not clear if all the boats had been intercepted or stopped. Some passengers said their vessels continued to advance.
Organisers remained defiant. "We will not be intimidated by threats, harassment, or efforts to protect Israel's illegal siege on Gaza," they said in an earlier statement.
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment about intercepting the vessels.
The Israeli foreign ministry earlier said its navy had reached out to the flotilla to warn it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked them to change course.
The ministry said that it reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.
It is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war. The flotilla had been hoping to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.
This was the second time the flotilla was approached on Wednesday. Before dawn, the mission's organisers said two Israeli "warships" had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla's boats. All navigation and communication devices went down in what one organiser on board described as a "cyber attack". A video post on the flotilla's Instagram page showed the silhouette of what appeared to be a military vessel with a gun turret near the civilian boats.
Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the flotilla, but could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was taken. Last week the flotilla was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas in the coastal enclave. Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also followed the boats.
Italy and Greece on Wednesday jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over its aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza - a plea the flotilla has previously rejected.
At the press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla "would be yet another violation of international law, the law of the sea" since Israel had no legal jurisdiction on waters off Gaza.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.
In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.
Israel intercepts 39 aid boats heading for Gaza, sparking criticism
A screengrab from a live stream video shows crew of a Gaza-bound vessel, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, raise their hands as they are surrounded by Israel Defense Forces on Oct. 2, 2025. (Global Sumud Flotilla via Reuters)
VIDEO
https://arab.news/pfst4
Reuters
October 02, 2025
Israeli forces have intercepted 39 boats carrying aid and foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, to Gaza, leaving only one vessel still sailing toward the Palestinian enclave, the flotilla organizers said on Thursday.
Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats, verified by Reuters, showed Israeli soldiers sporting helmets and night vision goggles boarding the ships, while passengers huddled together in life vests with their hands up.
A video from the Israeli foreign ministry showed Thunberg, the most prominent of the flotilla’s passengers, sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers.
Passengers diverted to an Israeli port
According to a tracker on the organizer, Global Sumud Flotilla’s website, one boat was still sailing. “Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port,” the Israeli foreign ministry said on X. “Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.”
The flotilla, which set sail in late August, is transporting medicine and food to Gaza and consists of more than 40 civilian vessels with about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists. It’s the highest-profile symbol of opposition to Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The flotilla’s progress across the Mediterranean Sea garnered international attention as nations including Turkiye, Spain and Italy sent boats or drones in case their nationals required assistance, even as it triggered repeated warnings from Israel to turn back.
Turkiye’s foreign ministry called Israel’s “attack” on the flotilla “an act of terror” that endangered the lives of innocent civilians.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said it had launched an investigation into the detention of 24 Turkish citizens on the vessels on charges including deprivation of liberty, seizure of transport vehicles and damage to property, Turkiye’s state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the expulsion of Israel’s entire diplomatic delegation on Wednesday following the detention of two Colombians in the flotilla and terminated Colombia’s free trade agreement with Israel. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned Israel’s actions and said Israeli forces had detained 23 Malaysians.
Interception triggers global protests
Israel’s interception of the flotilla sparked protests in Italy and Colombia, while protests were also called in Greece, Ireland and Turkiye. Italian unions called a general strike for Friday.
Israel’s navy had previously warned the flotilla it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked organizers to change course.
It had offered to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.
The flotilla is the latest seaborne attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war. In a statement, Hamas expressed support for the activists and called Israel’s interception of the flotilla a “criminal act,” calling for public protests to condemn Israel.
The boats were about 70 nautical miles off Gaza when they were intercepted, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching. The organizers said their communications, including the use of a live camera feed from some of the boats, had been scrambled.
Greece said it has been informed that 39 boats from the flotilla are sailing to the Israeli port of Ashdod and that everyone onboard is safe, no violence was exerted, the Greek public broadcaster reported.
The flotilla had hoped to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.
Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt.
“This systematic refusal (to hand over the aid) demonstrates that the objective is not humanitarian, but provocative,” Jonathan Peled, the Israeli ambassador to Italy, said in a post on X.
Prior attempts aid by sea
Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.
In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries.
In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organized by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.
Israel began its Gaza offensive after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive has killed over 65,000 people in Gaza, Palestinian health authorities say.
Gaza flotilla boarded by Israeli navy amid calls to lift blockade
Multiple vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy sailing towards Gaza, were intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces overnight Wednesday as they attempted to push through the naval blockade. RFI spoke to a French surgeon on board one of the 44 ships and the wife of a UK activist whose boat was intercepted.
Issued on: 02/10/2025 - RFI
Video grab taken from a livestream broadcasted on 1 October 2025 by the Global Sumud Flotilla shows Meteque, one the boats intercepted by the Israeli Forces. The crew, hands raised, adopt this position to show that they are unarmed and pose no threat. © Handout / Global Sumud Flotilla / AFP
By:Zeenat HansrodFollow
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“The Israeli military is trying to terrorise us by relentlessly attacking us with water cannons, blasting bright flashing lights and shrilling sirens,” Yacine Haffaf, a French surgeon on board the Jeannot III told RFI this morning.
He is one of the 450 people from over 40 countries sailing on the 44 boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which set sail for Gaza at the beginning of September to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Last night, several GSF vessels were intercepted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) while they were hours away from the shores of Gaza.
Haffaf, 69, heads Waves of Freedom, the French contingent of the flotilla.
He told RFI – before the ship was intercepted – that his morale was still high even though he is drenched and “the Israeli boats are dangerously close”.
'He's my hero'
Another vessel, Adara – carrying 22 people from several countries – was intercepted and boarded by the IOF on Wednesday night.
Sid Khan, a 48-year-old banker from Glasgow, was on board the Adara. His wife Isma told RFI that she has had no news of her husband since the interception. Her last conversation with him was late Wednesday afternoon.
“He was in good spirits even though he knew that they were going to be captured, jailed even,” she said.
“Sid told me that it is likely the Israeli forces will force them to sign a document to say that they’ve breached Israeli territory. But they haven’t – they are in Palestinian waters.”
She said her husband believed going to jail for a few days was nothing compared to what Palestinians face.
“He’s my hero,” Isma said. “I am crying because it is hard, but it is also admirable, his determination to stand up for the Palestinians so that they can live a life of dignity and not live in an open prison.”
Isma and Sid are no stranger to humanitarian activities. Isma Khan, a Scottish Pakistani optometrist, does charity work for remote populations in the Himalayas by providing eye health and preventing avoidable blindness.
“Sid believes that the humanitarian mission has achieved its goal in opening the eyes of the world to Gaza,” said Isma.
Enforcing international laws
Meanwhile, Albanese has underlined that the humanitarian aid the flotilla is carrying is just a drop in the ocean.
“More importantly, what the flotilla is carrying is the courage to enforce international laws,” she said.
Citizen mobilisation
Haffaf said he hoped public pressure would help secure the activists’ release.
“I hope our citizens will put pressure on all the governments to stop the apartheid, to stop the famine, to stop the genocide. Because it is indeed a genocide even though the French President – who finally recognised the state of Palestine – refuses to say the word,” he added.
He criticised France for offering nothing more than consular protection for its citizens in the flotilla.
Isma Khan said ordinary people were taking on a task that governments had failed to shoulder.
“In this day and age, there shouldn't be the need for a Global Sumud Flotilla, our governments should stand up to a genocide which is now recognised by everyone,” she said.
“But we’re still watching 20,000 children being murdered. It’s our governments who should be breaking the siege.”
Multiple vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy sailing towards Gaza, were intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces overnight Wednesday as they attempted to push through the naval blockade. RFI spoke to a French surgeon on board one of the 44 ships and the wife of a UK activist whose boat was intercepted.
Issued on: 02/10/2025 - RFI
Video grab taken from a livestream broadcasted on 1 October 2025 by the Global Sumud Flotilla shows Meteque, one the boats intercepted by the Israeli Forces. The crew, hands raised, adopt this position to show that they are unarmed and pose no threat. © Handout / Global Sumud Flotilla / AFPBy:Zeenat HansrodFollow
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“The Israeli military is trying to terrorise us by relentlessly attacking us with water cannons, blasting bright flashing lights and shrilling sirens,” Yacine Haffaf, a French surgeon on board the Jeannot III told RFI this morning.
He is one of the 450 people from over 40 countries sailing on the 44 boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which set sail for Gaza at the beginning of September to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Last night, several GSF vessels were intercepted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) while they were hours away from the shores of Gaza.
Haffaf, 69, heads Waves of Freedom, the French contingent of the flotilla.
He told RFI – before the ship was intercepted – that his morale was still high even though he is drenched and “the Israeli boats are dangerously close”.
The crew of Jeannot III vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla: Anne (Spain), Rafael (Spain), Eric (United States), Lotta (Sweden), Andrea (Italy), Alexis (Belgium), Anita (Uruguay), Yacine (France). © RFI/Yacine Haffaf
Live-streamed footage of the Jeannot III has shown the eight activists on board with their hands held high, fingers spread apart to indicate that they are unarmed and not posing a threat.
The civilians on board have been trained to adopt this attitude to present themselves as non-violent individuals.
A GSF activist reported that the Israeli military said “if you stop the engine, we stop the water”.
Israeli forces reportedly ordered the flotilla to halt before it reached the blockade off Gaza.
“You are instructed to change your course. Approaching the naval blockade violates international law and poses a direct security threat to Israel and its citizens,” the navy told one of the GSF vessels.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, dismissed the claim.
“The flotilla has not entered Israel’s territorial waters, this is Palestine’s waters and Israel has no authority over it,” she said on Wednesday in a press conference.
“Therefore, any intervention by Israel in these waters is unlawful. Furthermore, the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to dismantle the occupation and withdraw its troops outside Palestine.
"This does not only mean the land – Gaza, the occupied territory – it also includes the territorial waters.”
Live-streamed footage of the Jeannot III has shown the eight activists on board with their hands held high, fingers spread apart to indicate that they are unarmed and not posing a threat.
The civilians on board have been trained to adopt this attitude to present themselves as non-violent individuals.
A GSF activist reported that the Israeli military said “if you stop the engine, we stop the water”.
Israeli forces reportedly ordered the flotilla to halt before it reached the blockade off Gaza.
“You are instructed to change your course. Approaching the naval blockade violates international law and poses a direct security threat to Israel and its citizens,” the navy told one of the GSF vessels.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, dismissed the claim.
“The flotilla has not entered Israel’s territorial waters, this is Palestine’s waters and Israel has no authority over it,” she said on Wednesday in a press conference.
“Therefore, any intervention by Israel in these waters is unlawful. Furthermore, the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to dismantle the occupation and withdraw its troops outside Palestine.
"This does not only mean the land – Gaza, the occupied territory – it also includes the territorial waters.”
'He's my hero'
Another vessel, Adara – carrying 22 people from several countries – was intercepted and boarded by the IOF on Wednesday night.
Sid Khan, a 48-year-old banker from Glasgow, was on board the Adara. His wife Isma told RFI that she has had no news of her husband since the interception. Her last conversation with him was late Wednesday afternoon.
“He was in good spirits even though he knew that they were going to be captured, jailed even,” she said.
“Sid told me that it is likely the Israeli forces will force them to sign a document to say that they’ve breached Israeli territory. But they haven’t – they are in Palestinian waters.”
She said her husband believed going to jail for a few days was nothing compared to what Palestinians face.
“He’s my hero,” Isma said. “I am crying because it is hard, but it is also admirable, his determination to stand up for the Palestinians so that they can live a life of dignity and not live in an open prison.”
Isma and Sid are no stranger to humanitarian activities. Isma Khan, a Scottish Pakistani optometrist, does charity work for remote populations in the Himalayas by providing eye health and preventing avoidable blindness.
“Sid believes that the humanitarian mission has achieved its goal in opening the eyes of the world to Gaza,” said Isma.
Enforcing international laws
Meanwhile, Albanese has underlined that the humanitarian aid the flotilla is carrying is just a drop in the ocean.
“More importantly, what the flotilla is carrying is the courage to enforce international laws,” she said.
The flags raised on the Adara vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Adara was intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces. © RFI/Sid Khan
In one of the videos released overnight by GSF, Thiago Avila on board the Alma was responding to the Israeli navy’s close presence by asking them to keep clear of the flotilla.
“Please keep a minimum of one nautical mile away from the Global Sumud Flotilla,” he said. “All vessels … our mission is a non-violent humanitarian solidarity mission for the Palestinian people in Gaza. Any attempt to block or hinder this mission is illegal by international law.”
Israel regards attempts to breach the naval blockade as a violation of international law and links the flotilla to Hamas.
Israel’s foreign ministry said on X that “several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”.
GSF spokesperson Saif Abukeshek said the group was ready to pursue legal action.
“This is land and sea mobilisation. Any violation of international law and human rights that Israel is going to commit we will take all legal actions, whether through our participants or also the flags of the ships,” he said.
In one of the videos released overnight by GSF, Thiago Avila on board the Alma was responding to the Israeli navy’s close presence by asking them to keep clear of the flotilla.
“Please keep a minimum of one nautical mile away from the Global Sumud Flotilla,” he said. “All vessels … our mission is a non-violent humanitarian solidarity mission for the Palestinian people in Gaza. Any attempt to block or hinder this mission is illegal by international law.”
Israel regards attempts to breach the naval blockade as a violation of international law and links the flotilla to Hamas.
Israel’s foreign ministry said on X that “several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”.
GSF spokesperson Saif Abukeshek said the group was ready to pursue legal action.
“This is land and sea mobilisation. Any violation of international law and human rights that Israel is going to commit we will take all legal actions, whether through our participants or also the flags of the ships,” he said.
Citizen mobilisation
Haffaf said he hoped public pressure would help secure the activists’ release.
“I hope our citizens will put pressure on all the governments to stop the apartheid, to stop the famine, to stop the genocide. Because it is indeed a genocide even though the French President – who finally recognised the state of Palestine – refuses to say the word,” he added.
He criticised France for offering nothing more than consular protection for its citizens in the flotilla.
Isma Khan said ordinary people were taking on a task that governments had failed to shoulder.
“In this day and age, there shouldn't be the need for a Global Sumud Flotilla, our governments should stand up to a genocide which is now recognised by everyone,” she said.
“But we’re still watching 20,000 children being murdered. It’s our governments who should be breaking the siege.”
Opinion...
Freedom Flotilla: How Detained Activists Become Powerful Global Ambassadors for Palestine
Freedom Flotilla: How Detained Activists Become Powerful Global Ambassadors for Palestine
October 2, 2025
A screen grab shows activists aboard the ship are seen raising their hands to prove they were unarmed, as Israeli naval forces continue attacking vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla sailing toward Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, in the Mediterranean Sea on November 02, 2025. [Global Sumud Flotilla – Anadolu Agency]
by Adnan Hmidan
When the latest Freedom Flotilla set sail to break the siege on Gaza, it was never just about whether the ships would reach the shoreline. It was about sending a message across seas and continents — that Gaza is not alone, and that hundreds of men and women are willing to risk arrest, deportation, and confrontation with one of the world’s most aggressive military occupations, in order to stand with a besieged people.
What unfolded in the Mediterranean was not simply a naval interception; it was the birth of a new chapter in the international solidarity movement. Every activist on those ships, whether Arab or foreign, carried with them a determination that transcends borders. And while Israel may succeed in blocking the ships, it cannot block the voices that will echo far louder once these activists return home.
Witnesses, not just supporters
What distinguishes flotilla participants from other campaigners is the authenticity of lived experience. They are no longer distant advocates relying on reports or statistics. They have seen the Israeli blockade machinery at work. They have felt the hand of occupation reaching into international waters to silence a peaceful mission. This personal testimony is impossible to dismiss — and it gives these activists unparalleled authority when they speak in their communities, parliaments, universities, and media outlets.
Multiplying circles of influence
Once back home, these activists become more than allies; they become part of the story itself. Their arrest, mistreatment, or deportation becomes a living narrative that can mobilise audiences otherwise untouched by Palestine’s plight. Every platform they speak on — from a local radio show to a national parliament — becomes an extension of Gaza’s voice. In this way, a single flotilla can ripple into thousands of conversations across continents.
The strategic miscalculation of repression
Israel often assumes that by stopping the ships it ends the mission. In reality, it fuels the very momentum it seeks to suppress. Each confrontation does not bury the story, but multiplies it — producing new ambassadors for Palestine who carry the struggle into fresh spaces and languages. This cumulative effect ensures that solidarity with Gaza is not seasonal, but enduring.
Rethinking the measure of success
The true question is not “Did the flotilla reach Gaza?” but rather: “How many new ambassadors for Palestine emerged from this voyage?” Framing it this way transforms each attempt — whether intercepted or not — into a strategic gain. It reframes the flotilla as not only a humanitarian mission, but also a political and moral campaign that expands the global constituency for Palestinian rights.
After more than 17 years of blockade, Gaza’s greatest need is not only the lifting of material restrictions, but also the breaking of the silence and complicity that sustain them. The Freedom Flotilla, and those who dare to board it, achieve precisely that: turning the sea into a pulpit, the voyage into testimony, and activists into ambassadors. This is, at its core, a battle of conscience — and as long as ships continue to sail, the Palestinian story will continue to find new shores.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
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