Israeli Forces Intercept Global Sumud Flotilla Near Crete, Detain About 175 Activists

Israeli forces seized vessels in international waters near the Greek island of Crete as a Gaza-bound aid flotilla moved east across the Mediterranean, taking activists to Greece and detaining others, multiple outlets reported.

Al Jazeera said Freedom Flotilla organisers told Reuters that “168 members of the flotilla crew had been taken to Crete while two activists remained with Israeli authorities,” after Israeli forces seized their vessels earlier this week.

Al Jazeera

The BBC reported that “22 boats from a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza have been intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near the Greek island of Crete,” and said Israel’s foreign ministry detained “about 175 activists.”

AP described the same episode as Israeli forces intercepting “more than 20 boats” and planning to transport “about 175 detained activists to Greece,” with organizers saying Israeli forces stormed their vessels overnight, “smashing engines and detaining some of those onboard.”

The Guardian likewise said Israeli forces intercepted and detained crews of “at least 22 boats near the Greek island of Crete,” and cited Israel’s foreign ministry saying the IDF took control of “more than 20 boats with about 175 activists onboard.”

Across the reporting, the flotilla was identified as the Global Sumud Flotilla, and the route was described as beginning in Barcelona, Spain, with the attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Reuters footage referenced by Al Jazeera showed that on Friday an Israeli army ship transferred 168 members of the crew to Greek boats, after which “buses and an ambulance car waited for them,” according to organisers and Reuters footage.

The flotilla organizers and Israeli officials offered sharply different explanations for the interception, with each side describing legality, intent, and what happened during the boarding.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, called Israel’s boarding “a straight-up attack on unarmed civilian boats in international waters,” adding, “This is illegal under international law. Israel has no jurisdiction in these waters.”

Al Jazeera

Tsabar also said, “Boarding these boats amounts to illegal detention, potentially kidnapping on the high seas,” framing the seizure as unlawful detention rather than a security measure.

The BBC reported that Israel’s foreign ministry dismissed the flotilla as a “PR stunt” and said “due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade, an early action was required.”

The Guardian quoted an Israeli navy officer heard urging activists to alter course, saying, “If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, you may do so through established and recognised channels. Please change course and return to the port of origin.”

In response, the Global Sumud Flotilla said, “Same script, different year. The Israeli navy thinks a radio warning can drown out the cries for justice,” and described the interception as “a violent raid in international waters.”

CBS News similarly reported the flotilla’s claim that “After smashing engines and destroying navigation arrays, the military retreated — intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm,” and it quoted the group calling it “This is piracy.”

Israel’s position was also reflected in the BBC’s account that the operation was “carried out in international waters peacefully and without any casualties,” and that an initial inspection revealed “materials that appear to be drugs and contraceptives.”

The interception triggered diplomatic statements and public reactions across multiple capitals, while Israeli leaders framed the operation as a success and foreign governments condemned it.

AP reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the Israeli Navy in a statement saying the mission to keep the flotilla away had been a success, adding, “They will continue to watch Gaza on YouTube,” in Netanyahu’s remark.

The BBC reported that the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for “restraint and universal respect” for international law, saying Greece had “asked Israel to withdraw its vessels from the region” and offered its “good services” for the activists to disembark in Greece and be repatriated.

AP described protests in solidarity with the flotilla called across several capitals, including crowds outside the Colosseum in Rome holding Palestinian flags and supporters chanting outside the Greek foreign ministry in Athens.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned the seizure as “an act of piracy,” and the BBC included Turkey’s statement that “By targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla, whose mission is to draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the innocent people of Gaza, Israel has also violated humanitarian principles and international law.”

Spain summoned the Israeli charge d’affaires in Madrid “to convey its strongest condemnation of the detention of the flotilla,” according to AP, while Italy and Germany said they were following developments with “great concern.”

The BBC also reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the seizure and demanded Israel immediately release “all the unlawfully detained Italians,” with Italian media reporting “24 Italians had been detained.”

In the middle of these reactions, the US Department of State threatened “to impose consequences” against those who support the flotilla, which it cast as “pro-Hamas,” according to Al Jazeera.

While most reports converged on the scale of the interception—around 22 boats and roughly 175 activists detained—other outlets diverged on totals and on how many people were transferred to Greece versus held by Israel.

Al Jazeera said organisers told Reuters that “168 members of the flotilla crew had been taken to Crete while two activists remained with Israeli authorities,” and it also said the group’s tracker showed “22 boats have been intercepted so far” while “47 others are still sailing.”

Al Jazeera

The BBC reported that “about 175 activists were detained” and said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would have them “disembarked on a Greek beach” later on Thursday.

AP said Israeli authorities planned to transport “about 175 detained activists to Greece on Thursday,” and it described a separate statement late Thursday saying “31 of the 53 vessels had reached safe waters and would continue their attempts to “break the illegal siege of Gaza.”

The Guardian described the flotilla as “about 58 vessels carrying people from across 70 countries,” and said Israel’s foreign ministry said the IDF took control of “more than 20 boats with about 175 activists onboard.”

Franceinfo reported that “If the Israeli army counts around 175 arrests, the flotilla organizers tally 211,” and it said “fifteen French nationals were detained.”

The Times of Israel reported that “two activists who led an aid flotilla bound for Gaza were being brought to Israel as suspects,” while “the other activists… some 175 people, disembarked on the Greek island on Friday,” and it named Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila as those to be questioned in Israel.

The Greek City Times reported that Israel confirmed activists had been allowed to disembark in Greece and said “two individuals would be taken to Israel for further questioning,” naming “Saif Abu Keshek” and “Thiago Ávila.”

The next phase of the confrontation centered on what happens to detainees and how the flotilla attempt relates to the broader Gaza blockade and humanitarian access.

The BBC reported that Israel’s foreign ministry said the operation was “carried out in international waters peacefully and without any casualties,” and it added that “An initial inspection of the vessels revealed materials that appear to be drugs and contraceptives,” while it also said the flotilla organizers were accused of “joining hands” with Hamas “with the aim of sabotaging President Trump's [Gaza] peace plan transition to its second phase.”

Al Jazeera

CBS News described Israel’s foreign ministry saying the activists were “now making their way peacefully to Israel,” and it quoted Israel describing the flotilla as “the condom flotilla,” referencing prophylactics found on a previous convoy.

In parallel, the flotilla and its supporters framed the stakes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the legality of blockade enforcement, with NPR reporting that Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

NPR also reported that a fragile six month-old ceasefire had halted the most intense fighting, but that “Israeli attacks have killed more than 790 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry,” and it said the health ministry maintains detailed casualty records seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Looking ahead, the Times of Israel reported that the Israeli Navy called on the remaining activists to either turn back or sail to Ashdod if they had humanitarian aid, to allow it to be inspected before entering Gaza, and it warned that they “too, would be stopped if they tried to continue on their course.”

The BBC also reported that the Greek authorities were coordinating safe disembarkation, with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying “The Greek authorities are in consultation with the Israeli authorities regarding the issue of safe disembarkation,” and that ministry officials were “proceeding to the point of arrival.”

In the background of these immediate steps, Al Jazeera recalled that last October Israel intercepted about 40 boats from the first Global Sumud Flotilla, arresting more than 450 participants, including Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, and it said Israel later expelled the arrested crew members and activists.