Israeli Navy attacks Gaza aid flotilla, detains 317 activists
21 vessels attacked, 19 estimated to be attacked, 4 continue to sail toward Gaza, according to flotilla tracker
- Connection lost with Mikeno vessel in Gaza’s territorial waters, nearly 9 miles away from enclave
ISTANBUL
Israeli naval forces attacked an international aid flotilla bound for the besieged Gaza Strip and detained at least 317 activists on board, organizers said on Thursday.
According to the official flotilla tracker, 21 vessels were attacked by Israeli naval forces, 19 others are believed to have been attacked, and four are still en route to Gaza.
At least 317 activists from 21 vessels were detained by the Israeli forces, according to the tracker.
The activists aboard the ships attacked by Israel were of various nationalities, including Spaniards, Italians, Brazilians, Turks, Greeks, Americans, Germans, Swedes, British, and French citizens, and many others.
❝Hands up, hands up!❞
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 1, 2025
💢 Israeli naval forces surrounded the vessels as they sailed toward Gaza to challenge the years-long blockade pic.twitter.com/E8yxPQdgCe
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said through the US social media company X that the detained activists are on their way to Israel's Ashdod Port, from which they will be deported to Europe.
The tracker showed that the Mikeno vessel entered Gaza’s territorial waters, however, the tracking signal was lost with the vessel when it was about 9.3 nautical miles from Gaza.
According to Erdem Ozveren, a Turkish activist from the global mission, their vessel is less than 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) away from Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces surrounded the vessels as they sailed toward Gaza to challenge a years-long Israeli blockade. Activists reported signal jamming and communication cut aboard most of the boats.
Several activists posted videos on social media showing Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy and ordering them to change course.
“We are being attacked right now by the Zionist (Israeli) army,” the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza said through the US social media company X. “Some ships have already been intercepted and a state of emergency has been declared aboard all vessels.
“High Alert. Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline, and vessels have been boarded by military personnel.”
🚨 Israeli navy intercepts Global Sumud Flotilla as it approaches Gaza to break siege
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 1, 2025
➡️ No immediate details were available about possible detentions or the fate of the ships https://t.co/PeWKl26CQr pic.twitter.com/naqCHDCGal
Violence
The committee accused Israel of using violence against the activists, saying naval forces rammed one ship, deployed water cannons, and forcibly boarded vessels, while “brutally mistreating peaceful detainees from 50 countries around the world.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that some activists were detained and would be moved to an Israeli port.
The ministry said naval forces had reached the flotilla and ordered activists to divert to the port of Ashdod in southern Israel for inspection before aid could be transferred into Gaza.
Israel's Channel 13, citing sources, said the operation to seize the flotilla would continue until Thursday.
⚠️ Israel threatened the Global Sumud flotilla over radio, warning they’ll seize the boats if they keep heading to Gaza
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 1, 2025
🗣️ 'We carry food, aid, water filters, crutches, baby formula, to people you have been starving to death,' says an an activist aboard pic.twitter.com/4OuP0TJEG6
Aid mission
The aid flotilla was less than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) from Gaza before being attacked by the Israeli Navy.
Activists spotted more than 20 Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy, with the navy ordering them to change course.
A spokesman said the approaching Israeli boats were clearly moving to impose a blockade on the flotilla.
The attack came as the convoy already passed the point at which the Madleen and Handala ships were also attacked by Israel in June and July.
🚢 Israeli warships encircle Global Sumud Flotilla
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 1, 2025
▪️Organizers say more than 20 Israeli warships are surrounding Global Sumud Flotilla vessels
➡️Nearly 500 people from 46 countries joined the flotilla, aiming to break Israel's blockade on Gaza pic.twitter.com/MmvGtnJ3Sd
Livestream footage from the flotilla showed activists donning life vests as the Israeli boats approached the vessels.
The Israeli raid came despite appeals by international organizations, including Amnesty International, for the protection of the aid flotilla. The UN also warned that any attack on the convoy would be unacceptable.
Israel, as the occupying power, has previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported activists on board.
The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that more than 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries.
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. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.
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