Israeli Forces Intercept Global Sumud Flotilla Vessels, Detain 428 Activists

Israeli forces intercepted all remaining vessels from an activist flotilla attempting to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, with the Global Sumud Flotilla live feed showing armed Israeli soldiers boarding the boats as activists in life vests put their hands up.

“The Foreign Minister has asked for an urgent investigation into the use of force by the Israeli authorities, who, according to Italian activists, used rubber bullets against the flotilla's vessels”

Agenzia Nova

The Associated Press reported that Israeli forces destroyed cameras mounted on the vessels, and that the flotilla had begun stopping around 167 miles (268 kilometers) from the Gaza coastline after the vessels departed last week from Turkey.

Al Jazeera

The PBS/AP account said Israel called the flotilla "a provocation for the sake of provocation" with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza, and that the boats carry a symbolic amount of aid.

The same report said Israel began stopping the flotilla around 167 miles (268 kilometers) from the Gaza coastline, and that on Monday the Israeli navy stopped some 41 boats from the flotilla in international waters off Cyprus and detained those on board.

It added that the flotilla said late Tuesday that 428 detained activists from over 40 nations remain "unaccounted for" as they had neither contact with lawyers nor access to consular help.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for an urgent review of Israel's use of force after Italian activists said soldiers fired rubber bullets at vessels, and the Associated Press reported that flotilla organizers claimed Israeli soldiers fired on five boats during the interdictions.

The PBS/AP report said the flotilla urged governments and world leaders to demand the activists "immediate and unconditional release" and to ensure they get legal and consular help without delay.

Al Jazeera

In a separate account, the Agenzia Nova report said Tajani asked the Italian ambassador to Israel Luke Ferrari to take a further formal step with Israeli authorities to request that all Italian citizens participating in the Gaza Flotilla be guaranteed dignified treatment, full protection, and the guarantee of their safety.

Agenzia Nova also quoted the Israeli Foreign Ministry rejecting accusations that it opened fire with live ammunition, saying "after repeated warnings, non-lethal means were used against the vessel—not the protesters—as a warning."

The PBS/AP report further said the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on European activists Saif Abu Keshek, Jaldia Abubakra Aueda, Hisham Abdallah Sulayman Abu Mahfuz and Mohammed Khatib, and that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called them "pro-terror."

The Associated Press account said Israel's defense body overseeing humanitarian aid to Gaza claims that sufficient aid is entering the territory, with around 600 trucks delivering assistance daily, similar to prewar levels.

“Toggle Play Israeli forces fire ‘rubber bullets’ at activists on Gaza aid flotilla Israeli naval forces are accused of firing ‘rubber bullets’ at activists on board the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla”

Al Jazeera

It also said a U.N. World Food Program report found the number of humanitarian and commercial trucks entering Gaza declined sharply in March compared with previous months, with a daily average of 112 trucks entering in March.

The PBS/AP report described the flotilla's stated purpose as highlighting the grim conditions for nearly 2 million Palestinians with severe shortages of housing, food and medicine, while Israel maintained a sea blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007.

In the same report, the flotilla said the detainees were being forcibly transported by an Israeli ship to an unnamed port, and it warned of "grave and immediate concerns" about the activists' physical safety after others detained during an April 30 interdiction detailed "patterns of torture, severe physical abuse and invasive sexual violence" by Israeli forces.

The PBS/AP account said Israel's Foreign Ministry Office stated Tuesday night that "all 430 activists" had been transferred to Israeli vessels, while the post on X said the activists were "making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives."