The Israeli military intercepted a nine-boat flotilla trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza early Wednesday in the Mediterranean Sea and detained scores of activists on board, the flotilla organizers and the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said the 145 activists taking part in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition & Thousand Madleens to Gaza, were in good health and were being brought to shore in Israel for processing before they are deported.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday the government was aware of six Canadians who are detained in Israel. She said Global Affairs Canada was in touch with Israeli authorities and offering consular services to the Canadians.
“Canada urges Israel to ensure the safety of our citizens and to facilitate their swift release,” she said in a social media post on X.
The interception came after nearly 450 activists from a previous, high-profile flotilla — including European lawmakers and climate activist Greta Thunberg — were intercepted on more than 40 boats last week trying to reach Gaza with a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid. Two Canadians were among those detained from that earlier flotilla, Ottawa confirmed.
While most of the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla have been deported, six of them — from Norway, Morocco and Spain — remain detained in Israel, lawyers representing them said late Tuesday.
The latest flotilla trying to reach Gaza
The organizers of this latest flotilla decried the new detentions on Wednesday as “arbitrary and unlawful.”
The activists on board the nine-vessel group included doctors, at least one member of the European parliament and several national lawmakers from Turkey, Denmark, France and Belgium.
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A passenger list posted on the flotilla’s website also shows two Israeli citizens were on board their largest boat, the Conscience. The flotilla was carrying some food and medical aid destined for Gaza hospitals.
“Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Organizers said the fleet was intercepted around 120 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. Cameras aboard the vessels, one large passenger ship and eight smaller sailboats, broadcast the interceptions live.
The boats could be seen being approached by fast-moving ships and then boarded by Israeli troops, who then cut off the broadcast. Activists also said an Israeli helicopter flew over them. No injuries were reported.
Israeli interceptions spark condemnation
Turkey strongly condemned and called Israel’s latest interception in international waters an “act of piracy.” Its Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it was a serious violation of international law and accused Israel of escalating tensions and undermining peace efforts.
Turkey has launched diplomatic efforts to secure the immediate release and safe return of its citizens and was coordinating with other countries regarding the status of other activists, the statement said.
The interceptions last week of the Global Sumud Flotilla drew widespread condemnation and sparked large protests in several major cities and a one-day strike across Italy.
Some of the deported activists had described mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards, claims that Israel denies.
Late on Tuesday, dozens of parliamentarians from Turkey and European countries — including Cyprus, Belgium, Spain and Italy — issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla and demanded the immediate release of the remaining detained activists.
The statement described the convoy as peaceful and a civilian initiative, and appealed for upholding international law.
The flotillas to Gaza came amid surging criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where its offensive in the war against Hamas has laid waste wide swaths of territory and killed tens of thousands of people.
Negotiations underway in Egypt
Also Wednesday, Israel and Hamas resumed indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al-Sheikh, along with high-level leaders from international delegations, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The militants killed some 1,200 people that day, while 251 others were abducted. Forty-eight hostages are still held in Gaza — around 20 believed to be alive.
Israel’s ensuing campaign has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its toll. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and whose figures are viewed by experts as the most reliable estimate, has said women and children make up around half the dead.
Israel has maintained varying degrees of blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power in the coastal territory in 2007, saying it is necessary to contain the militant group. Critics deride the policy as collective punishment.
After the war started, Israel tightened the blockade but eased up later under U.S. pressure. In March, it sealed the territory off from all food, medicine and other goods for 2 1/2 months, contributing to Gaza’s slide into famine.
Flotilla activists say they want to break Israel’s blockade and establish a humanitarian corridor by sea, given the little aid that reaches Gaza by land. They have vowed to try again.
Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.
—Additional files from Global News
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