It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, May 01, 2026
Opening Hormuz 'not a humanitarian gesture': Essential to keeping global food system operating
Issued on: 01/05/2026 - FRANCE24 Amid geopolitical volatility and economic fragility, François Picard is pleased to welcome John W.H. Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce. Denton is warning that "the Strait of Hormuz is about much more than oil and gas": we are drifting towards a food security crisis of global proportions. While headlines fixate on oil and conflict, Denton insists that "the sharpest issue at the moment is actually the deterioration of access to fertiliser", a development he links directly to "cataclysmic risk" for global food systems.
Study finds Indonesian hotspots are 'like home' for endangered whale sharks
Two bays in Indonesia are hotspots for endangered whale sharks, who frequent their waters year-round and not seasonally as previously thought, a new study has revealed. The research tracked 70 whale sharks over a decade, shedding new light on their migration habits.
A decade-long study tracking dozens of whale sharks off Indonesia's coast has revealed the secrets of their migrations and two hotspots where they gather year-round.
The research published Thursday fills in critical gaps in knowledge about the endangered species, and builds the case for increased protection of the Indonesian bays that the species flocks to, scientists said.
Whale sharks, which are a type of shark, not whale, face threats including pollution, tourism and vessel strikes.
While their speckled skin and stunning size make them instantly recognisable and a tourist draw, little was known about how the species moved between well-established gathering points.
Researchers in Indonesia aimed to change that by tagging Indo-Pacific whale sharks, which represent about 60 percent of the species, and tracing their movements.
Over a decade, they tagged 70 whale sharks at sites in Indonesia. Some were tracked for nearly three years.
"We could actually map or identify many variations of whale shark movement," said Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, the study's lead author.
"The whale sharks that we tagged moved through (waters of) 13 different countries as well as the high seas," he told AFP.
The research, published in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal, also revealed that two bays in Indonesia host whale sharks year-round, rather than seasonally as previously thought.
"This is very unique," said Putra, focal species conservation senior manager at NGO Konservasi Indonesia
While most "aggregation sites" for whale sharks are believed to be seasonal gathering points, Cenderawasih Bay off Indonesia's Papua province and Saleh Bay in Sumbawa are "like home for them", Putra said.
A combination of protection from predators and high availability of food such as krill make the bays crucial hotspots, with some evidence they may also function as nurseries.
Cenderawasih Bay is already protected as a national park, and its remote location has helped temper mass tourism.
But Saleh Bay is both popular with visitors and in a region with growing corn production on land and aquaculture at sea.
Both these industries can produce pollution – include pesticide runoff and sedimentation – that impacts water quality and whale sharks.
Putra noted that Indonesia recorded dozens of whale shark strandings in recent years. Pollution and interactions with fishing vessels are believed to be among the causes.
Konservasi Indonesia is working with the government to establish the country's first whale shark-specific marine protected area in Saleh Bay, which Putra said he hoped would come into effect this year.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
FIFA to review World Cup ticketing after backlash over 2026 prices
FIFA said Thursday it will review its ticketing strategy for the 2030 World Cup after a backlash over soaring prices for the 2026 tournament in North America, as officials defended costs as a reflection of demand while acknowledging fan anger.
FIFA said Thursday it will review its ticketing strategy for the 2030 World Cup following anger over skyrocketing prices for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom said high ticket prices for this year's tournament reflected "the reality of the market in North America".
"I will always have understanding for fans and their opinions, but I think there are quite a wide array of ticket prices – some are cheap, some are more expensive," he said.
"But of course, you know, we listen, we take into the account the comments, and of course, as for every World Cup, we will review and see how we do it for the next one," Grafstrom added.
FIFA has faced searing criticism over soaring ticket prices for this year's World Cup, with fan organisation Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal" of fans.
FSE last month filed a lawsuit with the European Commission targeting FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for the tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists ticket prices are simply a consequence of the huge demand.
"In the US in particular there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down", depending on the match in question, Infantino has said.
FIFA's own ticket resale exchange this week showed four tickets on offer for the July 19 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium for an eye-watering $2 million apiece, according to reports.
Other resale platforms commonly show tickets for the World Cup final costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Asked on Thursday if he was concerned that anger over ticket prices would harm the legacy of the 2026 World Cup, Grafstrom pointed out that revenues from the World Cup – estimated to generate up to $13 billion – would be pumped back into football.
"I think, you know, the legacy is also what we'll be able to do with the money that it generates," Grafstrom said.
"This is a true legacy through the (FIFA) Forward program and in order to really develop the game of football in our member associations, and this will have a true impact."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Hungary: What will become of Orban and his system?
Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party are still reeling from their election defeat earlier this month. There is much speculation about what their political future looks like.
There were celebrations all over Hungary after Viktor Orban conceded defeat on April 12
Image: Leonhard Foeger/REUTERS
When Viktor Orban was narrowly voted out of office for the first time in 2002, he went through a deep personal crisis. "The homeland cannot be in the opposition!" he said at the time.
In other words, according to his image of himself, only he and his Fidesz party could truly represent the interests of the Hungarian nation; he was its sole legitimate representative. The statement left a deep impression on the Hungarian public.
It was the experience of 2002 that prompted Orban from 2010 to use his two-thirds majority to establish the System of National Cooperation (NER), intended to prevent a reoccurrence of his defeat. Not only did he tailor the electoral system to his party but he also created a vast clientelist system, a sophisticated surveillance apparatus and a massive propaganda machine to secure his power. This system helped him remain in power for 16 years.
That is likely why, up until the election on April 12, the defeat of his Fidesz party was unimaginable for Orban. When the results were announced in the evening, his defeat was so significant that he initially seemed almost speechless.
He disappeared from public life for a few days. Then he gave the only in-depth interview since election day, to Patriota, a YouTube channel that has been loyal to his party. In it, he spoke of the "pain and emptiness" that he had been filled with. Orban also announced that he would resist "the destruction of what we have built."
With regards to mistakes made while he was in government, he admitted that he regretted that the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant, undertaken with Russian assistance, had not been completed. The journalist, a supporter, was visibly taken aback.
Much speculation in Hungarian society
What will now become of Orban and the system he has built over the past 16 years? Does the long-time autocrat have a chance of remaining in politics? Or is his career over? Will he leave the country, as rumors suggest? What will happen to his party, Fidesz, which was tailored entirely to him? What about the Orban dynasty, which has amassed immense wealth, and what about the oligarchs and tens of thousands of well-paid beneficiaries of the outgoing prime minister's regime?
These are the questions Hungarian society is asking right now. In search of answers, many media outlets are reporting on every single remark made by Orban and his allies, and every move made by his oligarchs and cronies. It shows how many Hungarians felt as if they were held hostage for years and how strong the desire is for a reckoning and systemic change.
Widespread corruption and abuse of power
So far, Orban has refused to take any responsibility for the alleged abuse of power in his regime and shown no public remorse. During the campaign, he announced that he would remain a parliamentarian but would step down as head of Fidesz in case of an election defeat, all the while brushing off this eventuality.
Instead, Orban has indeed stepped down from his parliamentary seat, but not yet announced his resignation as party leader. He has offered to quit but underlined that he stands ready "for the community."
The party has said that it will hold a new leadership conference in June. The dilemma faced by Fidesz is that it would fall apart without Orban, as the party is completely centered on him. And yet with him it will retain the reputation of being a corrupt and autocratic party among all but its small core voter base.
In a video posted on Facebook, Orban himself announced his future plans in a way that was quite remarkable in semantic terms: "I am not needed in parliament right now but in the reorganization of the national side."
For many Hungarians, this is a continuation of Orban's long-standing story: That the part of the Hungarian population that supports him are the true Hungarians, but nobody else.
Many view the gesture of giving up his parliamentary seat as both shirking responsibility and an attempt to reassert dominance. Many feel Orban probably does not want to subject himself to the humiliation of having to hear criticism of himself and his system in parliament. At the same time, he apparently also considers it beneath his dignity to be just a lawmaker.
Fidesz will decide on the next party leader in June
Image: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP
Are oligarchs transferring funds?
The political scientist Daniel Rona recently predicted on the Hungarian news portal Telex that Orban would likely wait to see how things developed over the coming months before making a concrete decision on how to shape his political and personal future.
Investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi wrote that Orban was considering going to the United States and applying for asylum there, but that is unlikely. This would destroy his work in Hungary, deal a fatal blow to his party and political community and also severely damage his family dynasty.
Orban's father and younger brother are two of the wealthiest business people in Hungary, involved predominantly in the mining and construction sectors. His eldest daughter Rahel and her husband Istvan Tiborcz, who are also among Hungary's richest individuals, emigrated to the US last year. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) investigated Tiborcz on several occasions based on alleged irregularities and conflicts of interest regarding state tenders. It forwarded recommendations to the Hungarian authorities and called for EU funds to be returned. In Hungary, the proceedings were shelved.
There are signs of movement among Orban's associates too. A few days ago, incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar accused the people many regard as Orban's cronies of transferring billions to foreign accounts in order to evade anti-corruption investigations and planned attempts to recover assets. Though there is no concrete evidence of this, Hungarian media outlets have reported on numerous financial transactions on the part of oligarchs, such as Orban's childhood friend Lorinc Meszaros, a businessman and former politician.
Many in Orban's party are still in a state of disbelief over their election defeat, and have turned to religion in an attempt to explain it. Outgoing Speaker of the National Assembly Laszlo Kover described it as a "temporary victory for satanic forces" but added that "in the end, victory belongs to Jesus Christ."
Zsolt Jeszenszky, a well-known influencer from the Orban camp, said that he thought the outgoing prime minister had "unintentionally committed idolatry" during a visit to India in early 2025, thereby "opening the door to evil spirits in his life."
Others have said that the defeat was caused by opportunistic profiteers in the Orban system. But few Fidesz loyalists have blamed corruption and abuse of power for the party's defeat.
This article was translated from German.
INTERVIEW Dismantling Orban’s legacy: the reforms that lie ahead for Hungary
After 16 years of illiberal governance under outgoing prime minister Viktor Orban, restoring the rule of law in Hungary is not just a political transition but a full-on regime change, says Balint Magyar, a former Hungarian education minister and author of a study on Orban-era state capture. It will also mean bringing some of Orban's high-profile loyalists to trial.
Following Viktor Orban’s election defeat on April 12, new Hungarian premier Peter Magyar has promised to seek justice for crimes committed by his predecessor's network of political allies and the oligarchs who supported them.
The corruption is well entrenched: Orban dominated Hungarian politics for years without any serious challenger, and there has never been another figure in the country’s modern history who amassed so much power in such a relatively short period of time.
From the media to the judicial system and from universities to local governments, Orban’s empire infiltrated every state institution. Nothing could be done in Hungary without political connections, one of Hungary’s wealthiest businessman told the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza in April, while asking to remain anonymous.
Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party won 141 seats in parliament out of 199 in the April elections, giving it a large majority to strengthen the rule of law and potentially unlock billions in funding from the European Union, which froze the allocation under Orban due to concerns over corruption and democratic backsliding.
Yet time is of the essence: Magyar has warned that oligarchs allied with Orban have begun siphoning off assets to the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and "other distant countries”.
The Polish experience could provide some insight into what options exist for Hungary. After a liberal opposition bloc led by Donald Tusk came out ahead in October 2023 parliamentary elections, Tusk pledged as prime minister to reform Poland’s institutions following eight years of right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party rule. He immediately fired high-profile figures and bypassed some of the legal obstacles left by the previous government.
FRANCE 24 spoke with Balint Magyar – a sociologist, former education minister and author of the book, “The Hungarian Octopus: The Post-Communist Mafia State” – who argues that Hungary is embarking on not just a change of government, but a full-on regime change.
Magyar has promised to go after corrupt officials who were part of the so-called Orban system. Does he risk falling into the very illiberalism he pledged to abolish in seeking a rupture from the Orban years?
Peter Magyar won 53% of the votes in the elections on April 12, which gives him a more than two-thirds majority in the parliament. It meant that Orban’s attempts to make election law more disproportionate backfired. Such a constitutional majority is enough to change any law.
Among Magyar’s promises during the elections was instituting a proportional electoral system. The incoming premier has also promised to limit the maximum time for future prime ministers to two terms – eight years total.
What happened was not a government change but a regime change. A government change means that basic values are shared by the competing parties. In a regime, the competing parties do not share the same political values.
Hungarians witnessed the first regime change in 1990 from a communist dictatorship to a liberal democracy.
The second regime change happened in 2010, from a liberal democracy to an autocracy. This is what Orban called “a revolution at the ballot boxes”. In 2011, he rushed a new constitution through the parliament without any consultation with the public (called the Fundamental Law of Hungary, the new constitution codified a new interpretation of history and ethno-nationalist principles).
Magyar’s victory represents the third regime change in Hungary’s recent history, from an autocracy – hopefully – back to a liberal democracy. The incoming premier has pledged to hold a referendum on accepting a new constitution.
How difficult will it be to prosecute high-placed officials like Peter Szijjarto, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, who reportedly leaked information on EU summit discussions to Russia?
Looking to turn the page on Orban’s tenure, Magyar has pledged to pursue officials and corporate leaders accused of corruption: during his campaign, he launched a programme called “Road to Prison”. This was not an ordinary type of corruption. If you look at the international scene, you can see charges brought against Poland's former deputy minister of justice in the Law and Justice government, Marcin Romanowski, or against Romanian politicians. These are minor cases compared to the scale of robbery of the state committed by the Orban clan’s politicians and oligarchs.
The Fidesz government operated like a mafia state. All contributing members of society were subordinated to it: it was a political enterprise which captured the state, the economy and the oligarchs. The mafia state had two motivations: monopolising political power and accumulating personal and family wealth. With the possibility of unilaterally appointing the heads of the controlling organisations and the presidents of the republic, central bank, constitutional court, chief attorney’s office and state account office, Orban could exercise direct coercion and blackmail over the whole society. As all these figures were subordinated to Orban, he could govern the state as a criminal organisation. Most of these actors and Orban-related oligarchs committed crimes, according to existing Hungarian legal code.
Magyar has called on all the leaders of the above-mentioned institutions to resign. If they don’t comply, he will use legal means to oust them from their positions.
Police have already begun investigations even though Magyar’s government isn’t in office yet. I don’t think rank-and-file loyalists will be prosecuted. What we will witness is the total collapse of the mafia-state organisation led by Orban.
Also, the difference between the Hungarian and Polish cases is that the Polish leader of the PiS party, Jaroslaw Kacznyski, was an autocrat but not a criminal, while Orban was an autocrat and a criminal at the same time.
There will be widespread legal procedures, although I have some doubt that stolen state assets will be recouped. (Wealthy Hungarians are leaving the country and transferring financial assets, according to the Financial Times.)
Orban has been voted out, but he once famously said in an interview with an Austrian tabloid that he "would like to tie the hands of the next government. And not only of the next, but of the following 10 governments." How big of a threat does he and Fidesz present to the incoming government?
Orban’s defeat in the latest elections represents not only a political, but a total moral collapse. There is a difference between a mafia state and a “classic” mafia. The positions within a classic mafia are informal positions: they can bribe public servants if needed, but they mainly operate outside the governmental bodies.
In the case of the mafia state, the positions are positioned within the state apparatus. After winning a constitutional majority, Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party can take back these political and administrative positions. Orban’s political-economic clan, therefore, faces an unavoidable collapse.
A national opinion poll published this week asked Hungarians for the main reason for Orban’s defeat. Some 49% responded that it was corruption, around 18% responded that it was the bad economic situation, and around 10% attributed the defeat to the lies of the government. This represents the dual nature of wide popular discontent: namely, the complete amorality and incapacity of Orban’s regime. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What started out as a joke on social media has now got the US president's backing. Donald Trump says he supports the idea of changing the name of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – or ICE – to a new acronym, "NICE". This comes as the US immigration agency continues to face mounting scrutiny over its operations, funding and record-high deaths of detainees in its custody.
A month ago, conservative influencer Alyssa Dehen posted on social media that she wants Trump to rename ICE as the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement, so that "the media has to say NICE agents all day every day."
Weeks later, the US president reshared her post, responding "GREAT IDEA!!! DO IT." Soon after his online backing, the official social media accounts of the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) both used this proposed name change on their accounts, captioning posts "ICE is NICE".
However, in order to make this change a legal one, the DHS would have to submit the proposed name change to Congress for approval, where a law would then have to be passed amending the legislation that created ICE within the Department of Homeland Security. This would require updating regulations, contracts and budgets and likely cost millions of dollars.
Though it's true that Trump has endorsed this viral idea online, it's unclear how far it will be pursued at this stage.
That said, his administration has already pushed to rename various other elements. Trump signed executive orders to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War (used by his administration, though not yet codified), and changed the name Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
This new initiative comes as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is under mounting scrutiny. Earlier this month, ICE reported its 29th death of a detainee in custody since October, the highest record of deaths in custody since the agency's establishment in 2003.
Vedika Bahl explains what we know in Truth or Fake.
New Zealand's kiwi bird returns to Wellington hills after a century-long absence
A citizen campaign is returning New Zealand's flightless kiwi bird to the hills around the capital Wellington more than a century after Europeans – and the animals they introduced – decimated their numbers across the country.
The kiwi, New Zealand’s sacred national bird, vanished from the hills around Wellington more than a century ago. Now the capital's residents are waging an unlikely citizen campaign to return the endangered flightless birds to the city.
“They are a part of who we are and our sense of belonging here,” said Paul Ward, founder of the Capital Kiwi Project, a charitable trust. “But they’ve been gone from these hills for well over a century and we decided as Wellingtonians that wasn’t right.”
On a hill wreathed in mist above the dark sea that runs between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, Ward and others crossed rugged farmland late on Tuesday night, carrying seven crates in silence by dim red torchlight. Inside each one nestled a kiwi, including the 250th bird relocated to Wellington since the Capital Kiwi Project began.
The kiwi gives New Zealanders the name by which they’re often known. It’s a shy and odd-looking bird with underdeveloped wings and a whiskery face.
Spiritually significant for many New Zealanders, the kiwi’s image appears everywhere, including on the tail of the country’s air force planes – curious for a bird with no tail that can’t fly.
It’s thought that there were 12 million of the birds roaming the landscape before humans arrived in New Zealand. Today only about 70,000 kiwi are left across the country, with the population dropping 2 percent each year.
In the hills where Wellington’s kiwi now live and breed, the only late-night sound on Tuesday was the whoosh of wind turbines. Ward and his friends set their crates down in pairs, slid them open and gently tilted the boxes.
Some in the small group of hushed onlookers were tearful. One man chanted a karakia, a Maori prayer.
From each crate, a long, curved beak eventually protruded as kiwi took their first tentative steps into the shadowed landscape, then sped to a run and disappeared into the darkness.
One place kiwi had never set foot until this week was inside New Zealand’s Parliament. Hours before Wellington’s seven newest residents were transported to their hillside home, they were carried into Parliament’s grand banquet hall by handlers for a celebration of the 250th kiwi's arrival in the city.
Lawmakers and schoolchildren alike expressed whispered delight at seeing the timid, nocturnal birds up close, many for the first time, as conservation workers cradled the large birds like human babies, with their gnarled feet outstretched.
“This animal has given us as a people so much in terms of our sense of identity,” Ward said. “We want to challenge our civic leaders, our politicians and say this is a relationship we need to honour.”
New Zealand is home to some of the world’s strangest and rarest bird species. Some have only survived because of against-all-odds conservation programs, at times with uncertain funding.
Initiatives decades ago saw all surviving birds of some species moved onto offshore, predator-free islands or into sanctuaries where they could be carefully monitored and protected, but where few New Zealanders would ever see one.
Ward and his group had a different dream: that New Zealand’s iconic national bird could flourish alongside people in a bustling capital city, where human encroachment and introduced predators had wiped out the kiwi before.
“Where people are is also the places where we can bring them back because we’ve got the means to do that guardianship,” Ward said
Although unmanaged kiwi populations are shrinking, their numbers have thrived in carefully managed wild bird sanctuaries – so much, in fact, that some of these protected areas have run out of room for them.
That’s prompted their relocation to places like Wellington, where groups such as Ward’s rally residents to embrace their new neighbours. Kiwi have been spotted by late night mountain bikers and on backyard security camera footage in the capital, he said.
“They’re living and calling and being encountered on the hills surrounding our city,” Ward said.
That's taken work. Over the past decade, efforts between landowners, the local Maori tribe and the Capital Kiwi Project have produced a sprawling, 24,000-hectare tract of land where kiwi can roam.
It’s dotted with more than 5,000 traps for stoats, the main predator of kiwi chicks. So far, the Wellington population has a 90 percent chick survival rate.
The kiwi initiative is part of New Zealand’s quest to rid the island nation of introduced predators, including feral cats, possums, rats and stoats, by the year 2050. Since a previous government established the target in 2016 its chances of success have been debated, but community groups have taken up the work in earnest.
Parts of Wellington are now entirely free of mammalian predators apart from household pets, and native birds flourish. Volunteers monitor suburbs with military precision for the appearance of a single rat.
“When I think of endangered species globally, for the most part you can’t do much other than campaign or donate money,” said Michelle Impey, chief executive of Save the Kiwi. “But we have this incredible movement throughout the country where everyday people are taking it on under their own steam to do what they can to protect a threatened species.”
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi moved to house arrest
01.05.2026, dpa
Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest, local media reported on Thursday.
The announcement was broadcast on Myanmar's state media, according to the New Day Myanmar portal.
President Min Aung Hlaing commuted the remainder of Suu Kyi's prison sentence to house arrest, broadcaster Channel News Asia reported, citing a statement from the presidential office.
State broadcaster MRTV published a photo showing Suu Kyi sitting on a wooden bench opposite two uniformed men. It was the first image of her released in a long time, after years in which she had been largely cut off from the outside world.
Concern about Suu Kyi's condition had grown recently, with activists in Myanmar launching an international campaign calling on authorities to provide proof that she was alive.
UN Secretary General António Guterres welcomed Thursday's decision, according to his spokesman.
"It is a meaningful step towards conditions conducive to [a] credible political process," spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in New York.
Suu Kyi, 80, was detained following the February 2021 coup that brought the junta to power. She was subsequently sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
She previously spent 15 years under house arrest at her home in Yangon, becoming known worldwide for her non-violent opposition to the junta and earning the Nobel Prize in 1991.
Myanmar's military junta has repeatedly released thousands of prisoners to mark major holidays over the past few years.
On Thursday, the authorities granted a large-scale amnesty to mark a Buddhist holiday. Prisoners who were not pardoned had their sentences reduced by one sixth.
Israel condemned for seizure of Gaza-bound aid flotilla
IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS
01.05.2026, dpa
Photo: Matthias Oesterle/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
By dpa correspondents
Germany, Italy and Spain were among countries that condemned Israel's seizure of an international flotilla carrying aid for the Gaza Strip in international waters off the coast of Greece and the detention of dozens of humanitarian activists.
The governments in Rome and Berlin on Thursday called on Israel to fully respect international law and "for restraint from irresponsible actions." Germany and Italy were following "with great concern developments" regarding the flotilla, they said.
At the same time, Berlin and Rome defended the international community’s efforts to "provide humanitarian aid to Gaza in accordance with international law and standards." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also demanded the "immediate" release of all Italians "unlawfully detained." Both Italian and German citizens are on board.
In a separate joint statement, 11 countries including Spain and Turkey said "the unlawful detention of humanitarian activists in international waters constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law."
The 11 countries called on the Israeli authorities "to take the necessary measures" to ensure the immediate release of the detained activists, condemning "in the strongest terms the Israeli assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla."
The Turkish Foreign Ministry earlier had called the attack on the flotilla an “act of piracy” in violation of humanitarian values and international law.
Israel has said its navy has intercepted more than 20 vessels from the flotilla west of Crete, roughly 1,000 kilometres from Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said around 175 activists were being transported to Israel "peacefully."
The ministry said that Israel acted after the flotilla "actively attempted to block an Israeli merchant vessel," according to the Times of Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the detained activists would be brought ashore in Greece in coordination with the government in Athens, which the minister said agreed to it. All activists were taken off the vessels "unharmed," Sa'ar added.
Greece later said it had "urged Israel to withdraw its vessels from the area and offered its diplomatic assistance by agreeing to host the passengers on its territory and ensure their safe return to their home countries."
"The Greek Authorities are in consultation with the Israeli Authorities regarding safe disembarkation in Greece," the Foreign Ministry in Athens said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the aid group described the operation in a post on X as "a violent raid in international waters."
Activists said Israeli speedboats approached the flotilla at night, with soldiers allegedly pointing lasers and semi-automatic weapons at the vessels. People onboard were reportedly ordered to assemble at the bow and kneel.
The group alleged that naval forces boarded multiple boats, "smashing engines" and "intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels" as a storm approached. Communications were also reportedly disrupted.
More ships heading toward the Gaza Strip
Dozens of vessels carrying activists from multiple countries set sail from Sicily on Sunday toward the Gaza Strip in what organizers described as the largest flotilla yet attempting to reach the embattled Palestinian territory.
The activists aim to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, in place since 2007 and supported by Egypt, and to deliver humanitarian supplies to the territory.
They also say they are seeking to push for the establishment of a permanent humanitarian corridor.
Some of the flotilla's ships are continuing their journey following the incident on Wednesday night. Several boats were moving along the coast of Crete within Greek territorial waters late on Thursday, as shown by data from the online tracker of the flotilla's organizers and the Marine Traffic vessel tracking system.
The aid flotilla initially made no statements regarding its future plans. The organizers continue to accuse Israel of using violent force. Israel insists that the action against the flotilla is in accordance with international law.
Israel accused the organizers of the latest flotilla of collaborating with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which still controls around half of the coastal strip.
Activists on Gaza aid flotilla detained by Israel disembark in Crete Athens (AFP) – Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete disembarked on Friday in the Greek island, an AFP journalist saw.
Escorted by Greek coastguards, around 175 activists, the majority of them nationals of European countries, were taken in four coaches to the port of Atherinolakkos, in the southeast of the island.
As they approached the port, the activists chanted "Free Palestine," AFP saw.
Israel's foreign ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 vessels on Thursday. Flotilla organisers put the number at 211.
Turkey's foreign ministry said some 20 Turkish nationals in the flotilla who had been grabbed by the Israeli forces and taken to Crete would be repatriated. It said "certain participants from third countries" would also be sent to Turkey.
The flotilla comprising more than 50 vessels set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy.
Its aim, according to the organisers, was to break the blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.
Israel controls all entry points to Gaza. It has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing shortages since the start of Israel's war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023.
The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein on Friday said: "All the flotilla activists are now in Greece except Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila."
In a post on X, the ministry called the flotilla "another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm". It also said the flotilla was serving "professional provocateurs".
It said Keshek was "suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organisation" and that he and Avila, suspected of "illegal activity", would be brought to Israel for questioning.
Several European governments with nationals among those arrested have called on Israel to free the activists and called its action a flagrant contravention of international law.
But the United States backed Israeli authorities, calling the flotilla a "stunt" and saying it expects allies to deny port access, docking, departure and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla.
A State Department spokesman said Washington was exploring imposing "consequences" on those who support the flotilla.
The war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, has led to severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.
In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention.
The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.
Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and then expelled by Israel.
Gaza aid flotilla reaches Crete after Israel intercepts vessels
01.05.2026, dpa
Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
By Takis Tsafos, dpa
Around 30 vessels from the flotilla seeking to bring aid to Gaza have reached Crete, tracking data showed on Friday, after Israel intercepted some of the ships earlier this week, sparking international condemnation.
Parts of the Global Sumud Flotilla have entered the bay of Ierapetra, a port town in south-eastern Crete, according to tracking site Marine Traffic and the flotilla's online tracking tool.
It was initially unclear how long the activists would remain in Ierapetra, but Greek media reported that they have been brought to the small port of Atherinolakos on the south-eastern edge of Crete, from where they are to travel on to the island's administrative capital Heraklion.
Dozens of vessels carrying activists from multiple countries set sail from Sicily on Sunday toward the Gaza Strip in what organizers described as the largest flotilla yet attempting to reach the embattled Palestinian territory.
On Thursday, Israel said its navy had intercepted more than 20 vessels from the flotilla west of Crete, roughly 1,000 kilometres from Israel, with around 175 activists arrested. The Global Sumud Flotilla described the operation as "a violent raid in international waters."
The move sparked strong criticism including from Germany, Italy and Spain.
Greece said it was ready to take in those arrested to enable them to travel home.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that two activists were being brought to Israel for questioning, with one man suspected of having ties to a terrorist organization. The second person is accused of carrying out "illegal activities," the ministry said, without giving further details.
It was also unclear how they would be brought to Israel.
The Global Sumud Flotilla had previously told dpa upon request that its vessels had reached safe waters and were currently regrouping.
The group said it was fully prepared to continue its journey "to break the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip."
US condemns 'pro-Hamas' aid flotilla, threatens supporters
01.05.2026, dpa
Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
The United States on Thursday condemned an international flotilla attempting to carry aid to the Gaza Strip, calling it a "pro-Hamas initiative" attempting to undermine President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East.
Dozens of vessels carrying activists from multiple countries set sail from Sicily on Sunday toward the Gaza Strip in what organizers described as the largest flotilla yet attempting to reach the embattled Palestinian territory.
The Israeli Navy has said it intercepted more than 20 vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla west of Crete, roughly 1,000 kilometres from Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said around 175 activists were being transported to Israel "peacefully."
Countries including Germany, Italy and Spain condemned Israel for seizing the vessels in international waters and called for international law and standards to be respected.
The US Department of State, meanwhile, condemned "the Global Sumud Flotilla, a pro-Hamas initiative and a baseless, counterproductive effort to undermine President Trump’s Peace Plan."
Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that the flotilla is organized by "the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, which was designated as a specially designated global terrorist in January for operating at Hamas’ behest."
Pigott went on to say that "the United States expects all our allies, particularly those who have committed to supporting President Trump’s successful 20-Point Plan [for demilitarizing Gaza], to take decisive action against this meaningless political stunt by denying port access, docking, departure, and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla."
Since a ceasefire was declared in October last year, Israel has controlled around half of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas has largely re-established control in the remainder. Disarmament of Hamas under a US-led peace plan has not been implemented.
Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla, detains 175 activists
30.04.2026,
By Sara Lemel, dpa
The Israeli navy has intercepted more than 20 vessels from an international aid flotilla bound for Gaza off the coast of the Greek island of Crete and detained dozens of activists, authorities said on Thursday.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said around 175 activists were being transported to Israel “peacefully."
Meanwhile, the group calling itself the "Global Sumud Flotilla" described the operation in a post on X as "a violent raid in international waters."
The group alleged that naval forces boarded multiple boats, "smashing engines" and "intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels" as a storm approached. Communications were also reportedly disrupted.
The interception took place west of Crete, roughly 1,000 kilometres from Israel. While an intervention had been anticipated, the timing and location reportedly came as a surprise. Israeli media said the flotilla was stopped early due to its size.
The Israeli military provided only a brief statement, saying it was enforcing the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, which it says is in place for security reasons. It added that it was acting under instructions from Israel's political leadership.
Activists said Israeli speedboats approached the flotilla at night, with soldiers allegedly pointing lasers and semi-automatic weapons at the vessels. People onboard were reportedly ordered to assemble at the bow and kneel.
Dozens of vessels carrying activists from multiple countries set sail from Sicily on Sunday toward the Gaza Strip in what organizers described as the largest flotilla yet attempting to reach the coastal enclave.
The activists aim to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, in place since 2007 and supported by Egypt, and to deliver humanitarian supplies to the territory.
They also say they are seeking to push for the establishment of a permanent humanitarian corridor.
Israel has previously blocked similar attempts to breach the blockade. During an earlier effort last year, Israeli special forces boarded the largely privately owned sail and motorboats making up the flotilla and prevented them from reaching Gaza.
Israel accused the organizers of the latest flotilla of collaborating with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which still controls around half of the coastal strip.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem spoke of “professional provocateurs” and accused them of seeking to sabotage the transition to the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, diverting attention from Hamas’s refusal to lay down its arms.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called the attack on the flotilla an “act of piracy” in violation of humanitarian values and international law.
Amnesty International official Erika Guevara Rosas said it was "appalling that activists participating in a peaceful solidarity mission to break Israel's unlawful blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver medical supplies to people facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis - deliberately imposed by Israel - have been arbitrarily detained once again."
Despite the raid, several ships from the flotilla were believed to be continuing their journey on Thursday, according to data from the organizers' online tracker and the Marine Traffic vessel tracking system.
There were initially no statements from the organizers regarding the further plans of the ships participating in the flotilla.
Greece describes events
A government spokesman in Athens said the Greek coastguard's search and rescue command centre received a distress signal from a vessel in international waters more than 60 nautical miles west of Crete.
A coastguard patrol boat was immediately dispatched. During radio contact, the captains of the vessel in question and other nearby ships stated that there was no danger and that they “neither required assistance nor wished for support from the Greek authorities,” the spokesman added on Greek television.
The coastguard also noted that 17 boats had been abandoned by their crews and were drifting in the region. The salvage of the vessels would begin shortly, with further details to be provided in due course, government sources in Athens added.
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, those arrested are to be taken to Greece in the coming hours.
