Israel blocks Gaza aid flotilla and intercepts lead vessels, effectively ending mission

 A fleet of Israeli vessels blocked the passage of the flotilla heading to Gaza with humanitarian aid late Wednesday and has intercepted its main ships. The mission had already entered the exclusion zone established by the Israeli military. The flotilla reported via its X account that several of its vessels had been boarded by Israeli military personnel. “We are working to confirm the safety of the mission members,” read a brief statement. The live signal from most of the ships has been lost.

In less than two hours, the Israeli Armed Forces took control of the three main ships in the flotilla, with a total of 90 passengers, 26 of them Spanish: Alma, on which the entire mission leadership was traveling (including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, of whom’s arrest the Israeli government has shared images), Sirius, on which Ada Colau, Barcelona’s former mayor, was traveling, and Adara, carrying some 25 people. After 11 p.m. (Western European time), three other ships were intercepted in what the organization has described as “active aggression.”

The Israeli military boarded the ships to halt the mission after a month-long voyage and when it was, according to the flotilla, 70 nautical miles (129 kilometers) off the coast of Gaza. Everyone on board the ships was alert, aware of the imminent action. The first to be intercepted was the Alma. After being surrounded by Israeli vessels, it lost communication. Next came the Sirius, followed by the Adara.

At that point, all protocols had been activated. First, the crew members threw all electronic devices into the water. The goal was to prevent Israel from obtaining any information about everyone involved in the mission, both on board and on land, so as not to expose them to possible reprisals. They sought to avoid revealing the identity of the captain or coordinator. All objects that could be used to commit violence, such as kitchen knives, fishhooks, tools, or other blunt instruments, were also thrown into the water.

When the soldiers approached the boats, the entire crew put on life jackets, gathered in the widest part of the vessel, and waited with their hands up and their passports in their pockets. To demonstrate the nonviolent nature of the mission, direct interaction or eye contact with the military was not permitted. Everyone had been told to obey orders. If a person was to be isolated, it was recommended to avoid this by grabbing them by the legs, but always with hands visible and without sudden movements.

The Italian government has confirmed that all ships have been boarded. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has assured that all vessels were surrounded by Israeli ships in the sea off Gaza and that their occupants will be transferred to Israel for subsequent expulsion. The Spanish Foreign Ministry reported late on Wednesday that it had been in contact with the embassy in Tel Aviv to “take a specific interest in Spanish citizens and guarantee all diplomatic and consular protection.” Minister José Manuel Albares is in contact with the diplomatic services of countries with citizens in the flotilla, “especially Ireland and Turkey,” according to sources in that department.

At around 7 p.m., members of the mission reported that some 20 Israeli military vessels were less than three miles away. Early Wednesday morning, the flotilla reported a first “intimidating attack” by Israeli ships. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, had previously warned that if the ships are intercepted, Israel “would be committing a violation of international law” since “the waters of Gaza are not under the legitimate authority of Israel” and international law prohibits the illegal interception of ships.

Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, had reported earlier in the day that the elite naval forces unit, Shayetet 13, will take control of the boats if they continue their advance where previous — and much smaller — flotillas have been blocked or attacked in the past two decades. The current flotilla, consisting of 47 boats and 500 activists, places the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in an unprecedented situation. Authorities will deploy 600 police officers and eight ambulances to the port of Ashdod, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Gaza, where the Israeli military intends to take the activists. Authorities have also put seven hospitals and medical centers in the surrounding area on alert in case there are any casualties. The order requires reinforcing available equipment, especially since the country is coming to a virtual standstill as of Wednesday afternoon for Yom Kippur, the most solemn Jewish holiday, during which even its airspace is closed.

In the event of a boarding operation, the Israeli navy reportedly plans to transfer the flotilla members onto ships and disembark them in Israel. There, they will be sent to Ktzi’ot Prison in the Negev Desert, near the city of Beersheba, and subsequently deported to their respective countries. Those who refuse expulsion (which also carries a subsequent ban on entry) will be handed over to personnel from the Interior Ministry, led by the far-right leader Itamar Ben-Gvir. According to Israeli Channel 12, a special court will be formed in the prison itself. The IDF, for its part, will tow some vessels to the Israeli coast, but plans to sink others in the Mediterranean.

After days of behind-the-scenes diplomatic negotiations to avoid a clash, Israel reiterated its calls for the flotilla to turn around. It again proposed that it deposit the humanitarian cargo it is carrying in a Mediterranean port of its choice. Israel claims it will bring it into the Gaza Strip, where it has severely restricted aid (the UN declared famine in August in Gaza City) to use starvation as another tool of war and as collective punishment. In recent days, Israel has tried to portray the flotilla as a Hamas-sponsored initiative, without any evidence to back the claim.'

“Pretext for preventing peace”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday retweeted a message in which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on the flotilla to “stop now” for fear that its attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade “could provide a pretext” to scupper the U.S.-led peace proposal to bring an end to the war in the Strip. “A hope of agreement has finally opened up to end the war and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population and to stabilize the region. A fragile balance, which many would be happy to disrupt,” the Italian PM stated. Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a 20-point plan to end the conflict on Monday, on which Hamas has not yet officially commented.

“Any other choice risks becoming a pretext for preventing peace, fuelling conflict and therefore affecting above all the people of Gaza,” wrote the Italian leader, one of the two countries, along with Spain, that has sent naval vessels to assist the flotilla, although they will not enter the exclusion zone declared by Israel.

Saar echoed the message along the same lines. “Listen to Giorgia Meloni. The United States, Israel, and leaders in the Middle East and around the world are trying to end the war. The focus should be on de-escalation, not on orchestrating provocations, such as the Hamas-Sumud flotilla. It is not too late: we reiterate the call of the government of Israel, the Italian government, and the Vatican for all aid to be transferred peacefully to Gaza through the port of Cyprus, the seaport of Ashkelon [in Israel], or any other port in the region.”