Global Solidarity Under Siege: “Israeli” Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Flotilla
By Staff, Agencies
“Israeli” naval forces have intercepted and boarded several vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla — a major international mission aiming to break the long-running, Tel Aviv-imposed blockade on the Gaza Strip.
According to organizers, the fleet was less than 90 nautical miles from Gaza on Wednesday when “Israeli” patrol boats surrounded it and intercepted at least two vessels. In a subsequent statement, the flotilla said, “Multiple vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla—notably Alma, Surius and Adara—were illegally intercepted and boarded by ‘Israeli’ Occupation Forces in international waters.” Other boats, including Yulara and Meteque, were targeted with water cannons.
“These illegal attacks on unarmed humanitarian ships are a war crime,” the flotilla organizers declared, adding that “prior to illegally boarding the ships, ‘Israeli’ naval vessels intentionally damaged ship communications to block distress signals and stop the live stream of their assault”. They confirmed that communication had been lost with several boats and that efforts were underway to account for all participants and crew.
The interception reportedly followed repeated “Israeli” navy orders demanding the flotilla divert to the occupied port of Ashdod. The organizers vowed to continue sharing updates on detentions, injuries, and possible casualties, while urging governments and international institutions to intervene and ensure the safety of those aboard.
Despite the interception, the flotilla later affirmed its determination to proceed: “Seventy nautical miles away from Gaza—thirty boats still sailing strong despite incessant aggression from the ‘Israeli’ occupation navy”, the statement said.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of more than 50 vessels and delegations from at least 44 countries, set sail from Barcelona late last month. It has been described as the largest maritime mission of its kind in decades, seeking to break what human rights groups have called one of the world’s most inhumane blockades. Participants reported repeated acts of “dangerous escalation” by “Israeli” forces along their route, including explosions, drone swarms, and electronic jamming, which they warned signaled an intent to sabotage the mission.
Activists said these attacks reflected “the lengths to which the occupier will go to keep Gaza starved”. The mission, they stressed, was not merely a humanitarian effort but a stand of global working-class solidarity with the besieged Palestinian people.
In a video message recorded during the incident, one participant described the moment as “some dark times in humanity,” criticizing world governments for their silence. “This is an attack on innocent Palestinians who have been slaughtered for the last two years,” he said, referencing “Israel’s” ongoing war on Gaza since October 2023, which has martyred over 66,100 Palestinians—mostly women and children—many of them from starvation under siege.
He warned that any attack on the flotilla “is not only an attack on a vessel but an attack on every single person standing in solidarity with this movement”. He called for stronger global mobilization against “Israel” and its supporters, including through protests at embassies and boycotts of companies complicit in what he described as genocide.
In response to the assault on the flotilla, Italy’s Unione Sindacale di Base [USB] trade union announced a nationwide general strike for October 3, honoring its earlier pledge to halt work if the convoy were targeted. The union condemned “Israel” for violating international law and pledged continued solidarity with the people of Gaza.
