Israel Seizes Gaza Aid Flotilla... Detained West of Cyprus

Israeli Government Vows to Thoroughly Block Flotilla’s Entry

Israeli Navy capturing the Gaza relief convoy. Global Samood convoy

According to local media reports, including the daily Times of Israel, on May 18 (local time), the Israeli military has begun to seize an international aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.

The flotilla, which departed from Türkiye last week, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that "Israeli warships are blocking our fleet and have boarded the first vessel in an attempt to seize it." According to the flotilla, the interception is reportedly taking place in waters west of Cyprus.

A livestream video from the group shows several activists holding cameras and filming as the Israeli military boards boats off the coast of Cyprus.

The aid flotilla, named the 'Global Sumud Flotilla,' consists of approximately 50 vessels and set sail last Thursday from southwestern Türkiye.

The flotilla stated, "We demand safe passage for our lawful and non-violent humanitarian mission" and called on all governments to act immediately to stop "this illegal act of piracy by Israel, which is being carried out to maintain the blockade on the Gaza Strip."

While the Israeli government has declared that it will thoroughly block the entry of the flotilla, it has not confirmed whether a seizure operation is actually underway.

Israeli Navy Seizes Gaza Relief Fleet. Global Sumud Fleet

This is the third attempt by an aid flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip in the past year. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, Gaza has suffered severe shortages of food, drinking water, medicine, and fuel. However, Israeli authorities have denied claims of shortages, insisting that sufficient aid supplies are being provided.

Previously, at the end of last month, the Israeli military also intercepted the second aid flotilla bound for Gaza in international waters near Greece, deporting most of the activists to Europe. Human rights organizations claimed that two activists who had been detained at the time were subjected to mistreatment, but Israeli authorities denied these allegations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.