The first alert came from the organizers. “Military ships are currently intercepting our flotilla and Israeli forces are boarding the first of our boats.”said the Global Sumud flotilla on X this Monday, May 18, while the flotilla tracking system showed several ships intercepted to the west of the Mediterranean island.
Information confirmed two hours later by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while images of the interception were broadcast on the flotilla’s social networks, as you can see in the video at the top of the article. Among the members of the arrested crew is the sister of the Irish president, Margaret Connolly.
Turkey condemned this “intervention of Israeli forces in international waters”which constitutes a “Nouvel acte de piraterie” according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Flotilla organizers also urged « les gouvernements à agir immédiatement » in order to allow “a safe passage for (this) legal and non-violent humanitarian missionâ€.
Third attempt in a year
Earlier Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry warned in a message published on X that “Israel will not allow any violation of the legal naval blockade imposed on Gaza. Israel calls on all participants in this provocation to change course and immediately turn around.”
This is the third attempt in a year to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza, ravaged by war and facing serious shortages since the start of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in October 2023. Some 50 ships left the May 14 southwest of Turkey as part of this flotilla.
Israeli authorities reject accusations of aid shortage. “The Gaza Strip is flooded with aid. Since October alone, more than 1.58 million tons of humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza.”assured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Israel had already intercepted a previous flotilla in international waters off Greece on April 30, quickly releasing most of the activists on board to Crete, but arresting two of them, detained for several days before being expelled.
NGOs denounced the illegal arrests, claiming that the two men had suffered ill-treatment during their incarceration in Israel. Allegations denied by Israel.
