Israeli forces have prevented 13 boats from transporting foreign activists and helping for Gaza, but 30 boats continue to go to the Palestinian enclave ravaged by the war, the fleeting organizers said on Thursday.
According to the latest update published on the Official Global Sumud Flotilla X account, dozens of ships are still underway towards Gaza, less than 50 kilometers from the Gaza coast.
Emergency alert ❗❗❗❗❗#GloBallSumudfilotilla Boat, Mali, intercepted in international waters less than 60 kilometers from #Gaza SIDE. Nearly 40 ships are still on the point of Gaza. Less than 50 kilometers from the coast !!!#GloBallSumudfllala #Gaza
– Global Sumud Flatilla ✨ (@gsmflotilla) October 2, 2025
A video from the Israeli Foreign Affairs Verified by Reuters showed the most important passenger of the flotilla, Swedish activist from the Greta Thunberg climate, sitting on a bridge surrounded by soldiers.
“Several ships in the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been arrested safely and their passengers are transferred to an Israeli port,” said the Israeli Foreign Affairs on X. “Greta and his friends are safe and healthy.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying medication and food in Gaza, consists of more than 40 civilian boats with around 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists.
Flotilla has published several videos on Telegram with messages from individuals aboard the various boats, some holding their passports and claiming that they were abducted and taken to Israel against their will, and reiterating that their mission was a non -violent humanitarian cause.
The flotilla is the most prominent symbol of the opposition to the blocking of Israel of Gaza.
His progress across the Mediterranean Sea have drawn international attention while nations, especially Turkey, Spain and Italy, have sent boats or drones in case their nationals require help, even if it has triggered repeated warnings from Israel to go back.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey called on Israel’s “attack” against the flotilla “an act of terror” which endangered the life of innocent civilians.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the expulsion of the entire diplomatic delegation of Israel on Wednesday after the detention of two Colombians in the flotilla. Israel has not had an ambassador to Colombia since last year.
Petro described the detention as “new international crime” potential by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded the release of Colombians. He also ended the Colombia free trade agreement with Israel.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned the interception by Israel of the flotilla on Thursday, adding that Israeli forces had detained eight Malaysians.
“By blocking a humanitarian mission, Israel has shown total contempt not only for the rights of the Palestinian people but also for the conscience of the world,” said Anwar, whose country is mainly Muslim, in a statement.
The interception by Israel of the flotilla has sparked demonstrations in Italy and Colombia. Italian unions called a general strike for solidarity on Friday with the International Aid Flatilla.
The Israeli Navy had previously warned the flotilla that he approached from an active combat zone and violated a legal blockade, and asked them to change course. He had proposed to transfer any peacefully aid by safe channels in Gaza.
30 boats to Gaza
Flotilla is the last attempt of maritime origin to break the blockade of Israel of Gaza, a large part of which has been transformed into a desert of almost two years of war.
The fleeting organizers denounced Wednesday’s raid as a “war crime”. They said the military used aggressive tactics, including the use of water cannons, but that no one was injured.
“Several ships … have been intercepted by illegally and embarked by Israeli occupation forces in international waters,” the organizers said in a statement.
The boats were around 70 naval miles from the enclave ravaged by the war when they were intercepted, inside an area that Israel takes care to prevent all the boats from approaching. The organizers said their communications had been scrambled, including the use of a live cameras of certain boats.
According to follow -up data from Flatillala ships, 13 boats were intercepted or arrested early Thursday. The organizers remained provocative, saying in a statement that the flotilla “will continue without being discouraged”.
Thirty boats were still sailing towards Gaza, the fleeting organizers said on Thursday in an article on Telegram on Thursday, declaring that they were 46 naval miles from their destination.
The flotilla had hoped to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.
Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a blow. “This systematic refusal (to put the aid) shows that the objective is not humanitarian, but provocative,” said Jonathan Peled, the Israeli ambassador to Italy, in a position on X.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade in Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts to provide the sea help.
In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers rose aboard a flotilla of six ships held by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries.
In June of this year, Israeli naval forces arrested Thunberg and 11 crew members of a small ship organized by a pro-Palestinian group called Flotilla Flotilla Coalition as Gaza approaches.
Israel began its Gaza offensive after the attack led by October 7, 2023 against Israel during which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 watched in Gaza, according to Israeli accounts. The offensive killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza, according to the Gaza health authorities.
