ANKARA

The Global Sumud Flotilla issued an urgent appeal to governments and international institutions after Israeli naval forces attacked and boarded its vessel Meteque in international waters on Thursday.

The organizers said in a statement that “live-streams and communications have been cut,” stressing that “the status of participants and crew remains unconfirmed.”

They said the boarding was an “illegal attack on unarmed humanitarians” and demanded international intervention to secure the safety and release of all those on board.

“We call on governments and international institutions to demand their immediate safety and release,” the flotilla declared in its statement.

The Israeli military attacked and seized almost all of the 44 boats of humanitarian flotilla seeking to break its siege on Gaza, arresting hundreds of activists, but one yacht, Marinette, continues to move towards the Palestinian enclave.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million, for nearly 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and the enclave has been rendered uninhabitable.