Activist Mi Hoa Lee aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla told Anadolu on Monday that the humanitarian convoy was continuing its journey toward Gaza despite attacks by Israeli forces in the international waters.
Speaking from the Kasr-i Sadabad vessel sailing under the English flag, Lee said the flotilla departed from the Turkish coastal district of Marmaris and had been at sea for 33 days.
She said drones and military ships began appearing around the convoy overnight, while interceptions started at around 11 a.m. local time.
According to Lee, the flotilla initially consisted of nearly 60 boats carrying around 500 civilians from approximately 45 countries as part of a “non-violent humanitarian mission” aimed at breaking the siege on Gaza.
Despite the interceptions, Lee said the remaining vessels were continuing to sail toward Gaza.
She described the Israeli intervention in international waters as “illegal” and “criminal,” and called for international attention on the flotilla as well as on Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Another activist aboard the flotilla, Giorgio Patti, told Anadolu that his vessel had not yet witnessed any boarding operations, although a military ship was circling nearby as the crew carried out evasive maneuvers.
Patti said the atmosphere aboard the vessel remained “cooperative and calm.”
“Although Israel is acting outside the established legal framework, we have faith in international control mechanisms and are awaiting boarding,” he said.
He also urged the international community to take action against violations of civil and human rights in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Rejecting accusations that the flotilla was linked to violence or terrorist organizations, Patti said the mission’s sole purpose was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the Israeli blockade through peaceful and lawful means.
He said the flotilla was part of an international civilian movement transporting only aid supplies and volunteers.
“We are part of an international civil movement that transports aid and volunteers exclusively. We are not violent and, above all, we always act within a legal and ethical framework,” he added.
-Israel 'continuously disrupts internet connection'
Harun Uyar, a Turkish activist aboard the vessel Rim, said that Israeli warships were continuously disrupting their internet connection using jammers from both ahead and behind the flotilla.
He said some of their fellow activists had been detained, adding: “We changed course, but we are not turning back. We are continuing toward Gaza.”
Ahmet Soylemez, a Turkish activist aboard the vessel L’Arq, described the intervention, saying: “At around 10:30 am this morning, we saw Israeli warships surrounding our flotilla for the first time. There were maybe three, maybe four, maybe more. We witnessed them intervening against the first boats they encountered and abducting the activists onboard.”
He noted that their vessel was sailing near the front of the flotilla and that they accelerated after noticing zodiac boats approaching them, continuing on their route.
Soylemez said they expect to reach Gaza by Wednesday evening, adding: “Nothing has changed regarding our destination. Since the day we set sail, our course has been Gaza, and it still is.”
Dilek Tekocak, a board member of Global Sumud Flotilla Türkiye, said in a video statement that the flotilla vessels were subjected to what she described as Israel’s unlawful intervention while 250 nautical miles away from Gaza and that contact had been lost with some boats.
Calling for support for the activists who were unlawfully detained, Tekocak said: “The only guarantee for the nearly 500 activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla is your eyes watching them and your feet rushing to the streets in support of them. They have no weapons other than the voices of conscientious people around the world.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla Türkiye account on X shared an emergency video message from activist Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, in which she said: “If you are watching this video, I was abducted in international waters and detained against my will by occupying Israeli forces.”
Ozkan added that her detention “once again demonstrates how far the Israeli regime and its supporters are willing to go to maintain the siege and genocide.”
In a separate interview with Anadolu, Turkish activist Sumeyra Akdeniz Ordu said flotilla vessels were detained by Israeli forces at midday and activists were taken into custody.
She said they did not know what process the detainees would face, adding: “The whole world continues to remain silent. We are a civil anger, a civil initiative… an unarmed resistance.”
Turkish activist and cardiovascular surgeon Seyma Denli Yalvac stated that Israeli forces carried out attacks on the vessels, adding that they continued their course toward Gaza despite the assault.
Stressing their ambition to reach Gaza, Yalvac said, “Pray for us. Do not let Gaza be taken off the agenda.”
The Israeli army on Monday attacked the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla in international waters. Live broadcasts from the flotilla showed Israeli naval forces intercepting the vessels one by one.
The flotilla, consisting of more than 50 boats, set sail on Thursday from the Turkish Mediterranean district of Marmaris in a renewed attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since the summer of 2007.
The flotilla said the mission included 426 participants, including 96 Turkish activists and participants from 39 other countries, among them Germany, US, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Algeria, Indonesia, Morocco, France, South Africa, UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Egypt, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman and New Zealand.
On April 29, Israeli forces attacked another aid mission bound for Gaza off the coast of the Greek island of Crete.
Organizers said Israeli forces intercepted boats carrying activists in international waters, detained 177 activists and mistreated them about 600 nautical miles from Gaza and only miles away from Greek territorial waters.
*Writing by Fatma Zehra Solmaz
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