Israel intercepts humanitarian flotilla in international waters and detains 175 activists

Published at: 30/04/2026 08:14 AM

This Thursday, Israeli naval forces intercepted a humanitarian flotilla consisting of more than 20 boats heading to the Gaza Strip, in an operation carried out off the coast of Greece. During the action, at least 175 activists of various nationalities were arrested and transferred to Israeli territory, according to official sources and the organizers of the convoy themselves, who denounce the interception as a disproportionate act of force.

Prior to boarding, the expedition's coordinators warned that Israeli military vessels had illegally surrounded the fleet in the vicinity of the island of Crete.

The organizers maintain that the incident occurred in international waters, which would contravene maritime navigation regulations. The main objective of the mission was to challenge the naval blockade imposed by Israel on the Palestinian enclave to deliver basic supplies.

The “Global Sumud” coalition, responsible for the initiative, explained that at least 22 of the 58 ships that make up the mission were taken by storm in what they described as a “flagrant violation of international law”. This flotilla, which represents a European civil coordination effort, had sailed earlier this month from strategic ports in Marseille (France), Barcelona (Spain) and Syracuse (Italy), gathering support throughout its journey across the Mediterranean.

Given the seriousness of the events, the Spanish activist Manu Pineda has called for an immediate global mobilization to denounce what he describes as the hijacking of the vessels of “Freedom, Dignity and Solidarity”.

The days of protest seek to pressure the Government of Israel to release the aid workers and to draw the attention of the international community to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the safety of the activists in custody.

Mazo News Team