Israel intercepts last boat from Gaza flotilla and begins deportations of crew
The organizers of the Sumud Global Flotilla , which was attempting to break Israel 's naval blockade of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, said on Friday, the 3rd, that the last of its 42 boats was intercepted by the Israeli Navy. Two days earlier, almost all the other vessels and the approximately 450 activists on board, including 15 Brazilians, were captured. Tel Aviv considers the initiative illegitimate, calling it "propaganda in the service of Hamas ," and will deport all participants—four Italians have already been expelled from the country.
According to the Sumud Global Flotilla, the Marinette ship was intercepted about 80 kilometers from Gaza this Friday. Israeli Army Radio reported that the Navy took control of the last boat in the flotilla, detained the crew, and that the vessel was being taken to the port of Ashdod, Israel. There, the Minister of National Security, the far-right ultra-religious Itamar Ben-Gvir, called the activists "terrorists."
In a statement, the activist group said Israeli naval forces “illegally intercepted all 42 of our ships — each carrying humanitarian aid, volunteers and the determination to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that all the ships in the group had been warned in advance that they were approaching an active combat zone and violating a "lawful naval blockade," and requested that the organizers change course. The ministry said it offered to transfer the supply shipments to Gaza.
Also on Friday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that four Italians had already been deported. "The others are in the process of being deported. Israel is committed to concluding this process as quickly as possible," the ministry said in a statement. All participants in the flotilla were "safe and in good health," the statement added.
The Sumud Global Flotilla, which set sail from Spain in late August and called at several European ports along the way, marked the latest attempt by activists to break the Israeli naval blockade of the enclave, imposed even before the war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023.
CriticismPro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in cities across Europe, as well as in Karachi, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City, on Thursday 2nd to protest the interception of the flotilla. On Friday, tens of thousands of Italians gathered for a demonstration, part of a 24-hour general strike called by unions in support of the activists.
The interception also drew harsh criticism from some governments. Turkey's Foreign Ministry accused Israel of an "act of terrorism," while Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would expel all remaining Israeli diplomats in the country. Two Colombian citizens aboard the flotilla were detained.
In Brazil, the government stated that it "deplores the Israeli government's military action, which violates the rights and endangers the physical well-being of peaceful protesters." The Itamaraty statement added that Israel is now responsible for the safety of the detainees. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira stated that Brazil had raised concerns directly with Israel about the 15 Brazilians on board, including Congresswoman Luizianne Lins (Workers' Party-Ceará).
Germany urged Israel to ensure the safety of the crew. "We have contacted the Israeli government and asked them to comply with their obligations under international law and act proportionally," said a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry. "We also ask that the protection of everyone on board be guaranteed; as far as we know, this has already been done."
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was more emphatic in calling on Israeli forces to release all of his country's citizens who, he said, were "kidnapped in international waters."
"The interception of the Sumud Global Flotilla is yet another grave offense by Israel to global solidarity and sentiment aimed at alleviating the suffering in Gaza and promoting peace in the region," Ramaphosa said. "On behalf of our government and our nation, I call on Israel to immediately release the South Africans kidnapped in international waters and other citizens who attempted to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid."
Ramaphosa also called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Palestinian enclave, stressing that the flotilla “represents solidarity with Gaza, not confrontation with Israel.”
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