JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL 

A Gaza aid flotilla is approaching the coast of the Gaza Strip, becoming 150 nautical miles from the Israel-besieged territory, Israeli media said Tuesday.

“More than 50 ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla have entered Israel’s interception range and are roughly 150 miles from Gaza,” Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said.

“The Israeli Navy continues preparations to seize the ships at sea,” it added.

Due to the large number of vessels, the military is preparing to transfer activists to a large warship and tow the vessels to Ashdod Port in southern Israel, with the possibility that some may sink during the operation, the outlet said.

It stressed that Israel’s political leadership has ordered the military not to allow the aid flotilla to enter Gaza “under any circumstances.”

Earlier Tuesday, Amnesty International issued a statement urging protection for the flotilla as it approached Gaza’s shores, voicing concern over Israeli threats.

On Sunday, KAN reported that Israel was preparing to seize the ships, echoing previous operations against the Madleen and Handala vessels, which Israel intercepted in June and July.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail several days ago in a bid to break the Israeli blockade.

This marks the first time in years that dozens of ships have sailed together toward Gaza, home to about 2.4 million Palestinians and under Israeli blockade for roughly 18 years.

Israel tightened the siege further on March 2 by closing all border crossings and blocking food, medicine and aid, pushing Gaza into famine despite aid trucks piling up at its borders.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.