Israel intercepts Gaza Flotilla off Greece

The Israeli military intercepted and boarded vessels from the pro-Palestinian "Gaza flotilla" off the coast of Greece on Thursday, detaining approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats and redirecting them toward Israel, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and flotilla organisers.

"Around 175 activists from more than 20 boats are currently making their way peacefully to Israel," the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote on X, posting a video it said showed "activists enjoying themselves aboard Israeli vessels."

The flotilla organisers told a different story. In a statement published at 06:30, the "Global Sumud" flotilla, which had departed European shores in April with the stated aim of breaking Israel's naval blockade on Gaza , said that "at least 22 of the 58 boats had been boarded by Israeli forces in total violation of international law" while sailing near Crete.

Terror connections behind the humanitarian facade

What the organisers did not advertise is the nature of their affiliations. 

Israeli and Western intelligence sources have documented close ties between the flotilla's key organisers and Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, three organisations designated as terrorist groups by the European Union, the United States and other Western governments.

Far from being a spontaneous humanitarian initiative, the flotilla is widely regarded by Israeli authorities as a propaganda operation designed to delegitimise Israel's blockade, generate international media coverage and provide political cover for groups whose stated objective is the destruction of the Israeli state.

Israel maintains that its naval blockade of Gaza is a legal and necessary security measure to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hamas, which has governed the territory since 2007 and launched the October 7, 2023 massacre that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis.