A group of vessels attempting to deliver aid to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Wednesday, the coalition behind the convoy said, the second such interception in the past week.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is an international network of pro-Palestinian activist groups that organises civilian maritime missions aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the enclave.
The flotilla’s vessels and passengers were safe, had been transferred to an Israeli port and were expected to be deported promptly, Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement on X.
“Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing,” the ministry said.
The FFC said Israeli forces “hijacked the humanitarian fleet,” adding that the “ships were illegally intercepted … Participants – humanitarians, doctors and journalists from across the world – have been taken against their will and are being held in unknown conditions.”
“The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters,” it said. “Our flotilla poses no harm.”
