Israeli forces have detained activists, including Greta Thunberg, aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was heading to the Gaza Strip after Israeli naval interception of their vessels. Despite these detentions, approximately two dozen activist boats carrying aid continue sailing toward besieged Gaza, with at least one vessel entering Gaza’s territorial waters.
Australia, monitoring the situation, acknowledged reports of detentions by Israeli troops on the Global Sumud Flotilla and expressed readiness to offer consular support to its citizens onboard. The Australian Foreign Ministry emphasized a call for all parties to respect international law and ensure the safety and humane treatment of those involved.
In response to the interception, Spain summoned Israel’s top envoy in Madrid. The Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, highlighted that 65 Spaniards were among the flotilla participants. Spain had previously seen a diplomatic strain after Israel withdrew its ambassador following Spain’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
Global Sumud Flotilla
Lawyers aboard the flotilla are meticulously documenting what they describe as Israeli violations of international humanitarian and maritime law. These recorded actions are planned to be presented to the International Court of Justice at the United Nations. According to a reporter onboard one of the Mediterranean vessels, while several boats are still attempting to reach Gaza, even a single successful entry would represent a significant breakthrough in breaching the siege imposed by Israel, which has blockaded Gaza’s supplies of food, water, and medicine.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs interrupted the Yom Kippur holiday to publish images of detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla. The seized activists are being transported to Israel’s Ashdod port, expected to arrive around 09:00 GMT (noon local time), a process anticipated to take several hours due to staggered arrivals.
Meanwhile, the Israeli navy continues efforts to intercept remaining flotilla boats. Communication with these vessels is severely limited as activists adopt protocols to avoid detection, such as discarding phones near Israeli navy ships or experiencing signal jamming. Consequently, the whereabouts of all flotilla boats remain partly unknown, with not all intercepted yet.
