Israeli navy intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla

Several vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) have been stopped in the Mediterranean Sea as they approached Gaza shores, and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Wednesday night, reported Xinhua.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in the statement that Israel has offered and continues to offer the flotilla a way to deliver any aid they might have to Gaza "peacefully."

"The flotilla refused because they are not interested in aid, but in provocation," the statement reads.

It added that the Israeli navy has reached out to the flotilla and asked them to change course. "Israel has informed the flotilla that it is approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade," the ministry said.

According to the GSF, the international maritime initiative comprises about 50 civilian vessels and more than 500 volunteers from over 40 countries, aiming to challenge Israel's naval blockade on the Gaza Strip and deliver food and medical aid to Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The flotilla set sail from ports of various countries since August, converging toward Gaza with the goal of opening a humanitarian corridor by sea. During the trip, the fleet has come under repeated attacks, including drone strikes and "intimidation attacks."

Earlier in the day, the GSF said that two of its vessels were harassed by Israeli warships overnight, which jammed their communications.

Some countries, including Italy and Greece, have urged Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of the GSF participants headed for Gaza and to allow consular protection measures.

Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized control of the enclave. The Israeli restrictions have been further tightened following Hamas's cross-border assault into southern Israel in October 2023.

Meanwhile, Italy and Greece on Wednesday urged Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) participants headed for Gaza and to allow consular protection measures, reported Xinhua.

The GSF, comprising about 52 small vessels and more than 500 volunteers from over 40 countries including Greece and Italy, aims to challenge Israel's naval blockade imposed since 2007 and deliver food and medical aid to Palestinians.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said late Wednesday that Israeli authorities had boarded the flotilla's vessels before 9 p.m. local time and detained the crew members.

He confirmed that the Italian government had instructed its embassies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to provide assistance to all Italian citizens taken to Ashdod Port and facing deportation. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto characterized the operation as a "blockade," emphasizing the hope for a calm and rational process without issues.

According to Italy's national television news channel Rai News 24, some flotilla participants reported that in the early hours of Oct. 1, an Israeli warship approached the fleet and surrounded the lead vessel, the Alma, but did not carry out a boarding operation.

Israel detained three Portuguese citizens after intercepting the GSF vessels, Portuguese authorities confirmed.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has pledged that the government will provide "full consular support" to the detained citizens through the Portuguese embassy in Tel Aviv.

The Portuguese foreign ministry said that consular services at Portugal's Tel Aviv embassy have been in contact with Israeli authorities for several days, requesting that Portuguese citizens be treated "with dignity and without violence" and in "respect of their individual human rights."

Earlier in the day, Italy and Greece issued a joint declaration saying that the two countries are closely monitoring developments related to the flotilla.

Greece and Italy reiterated the need to guarantee humanitarian access to Gaza and called for a ceasefire at the earliest possible date. The two countries urged all parties to refrain from actions that could be exploited by those opposed to peace.

The latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has dragged on for nearly two years, claiming more than 65,000 lives in Gaza, nearly half of them women and children, and leaving 2 million people mired in a humanitarian catastrophe.