The Global Sumud Flotilla, composed of 58 vessels, departed last Sunday from the port of Augusta, in Italy, with the objective of carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The one that already departed from Barcelona last April 15 joined the flotilla that was departing from Italy. The initiative sought to cross the Mediterranean to deliver basic supplies to the civilian population.
During the early hours of Thursday, at least 22 of those boats were intercepted in international waters, more than 1,000 kilometers from Israeli territory and in an area near Greece, between the Peloponnese and the island of Crete. According to the flotilla's own tracker, the operation occurred in a staggered manner and was accompanied by the presence of drones and unidentified military vessels, which led part of the fleet to modify its route.
Neither the Government of Israel nor the Israel Defense Forces have officially confirmed their involvement in the interception. However, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, publicly stated that “another provocative flotilla was intercepted before arriving”, in line with reports from the Israeli newspaper 'Haaretz' which point to a continued operation by the defense forces.
For their part, the organizers of the flotilla denounced that their vessels were “illegally surrounded” in international waters and warned of “threats of kidnapping and violence”. Furthermore, they pointed out that several “incidents” were registered during the navigation, in an episode that once again puts the focus on maritime security in the Mediterranean and on the tensions derived from the blockade on Gaza.
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