HAMILTON, Canada

Canada urged Israel on Wednesday to swiftly release six Canadian activists detained alongside other activists from the Freedom Flotilla, which was attacked in international waters by Israeli forces while sailing to the Gaza Strip to provide humanitarian aid.

"We are tracking the route of the most recent flotilla and are aware that six Canadians have been detained in Israel," Foreign Minister Anita Anand wrote the US social media company, X.

Saying that Global Affairs Canada is "in touch with Israeli authorities," Anand said, "Canada urges Israel to ensure the safety of our citizens and to facilitate their swift release."

Anand noted that more information about the six Canadians will be shared as it becomes available.

Early Wednesday, Israeli occupation forces attacked at least nine boats of the Freedom Flotilla headed to Gaza and arrested 145 activists from 30 countries, according to flotilla organizers.

In a statement, David Heap, Canadian Boat to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee member said: "Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ship."

Saying that Israeli attacks on the aid boats "violates international law," Heap said: "Our volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately."

The names of the Canadian activists headed to Gaza are Mskwaasin Agnew, Sadie Mees, Nikita Stapleton, Khurram Musti Khan and Nima Machouf.

The latest convoy set sail after Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which were on the way to Gaza to challenge the Israeli blockade, and detained more than 450 activists on board. Most of them have been deported.

Israel, as the occupying power, has also previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo and deported the activists on board.

It has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, 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 bombardments have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable. Negotiations to end the war, according to a 20-point plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump, are underway in Egypt.