The organisers of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza said on Tuesday Israeli forces had intercepted 41 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, with 10 vessels still sailing toward the enclave.
A visual shared by the flotilla, which speaks volumes about the participants’ political positions © X
The organisers of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza said on Tuesday Israeli forces had intercepted 41 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, with 10 vessels still sailing toward the enclave.
The closest vessel to Gaza, Sirius, was 145 nautical miles away, the group said.
Israel's foreign ministry had said on X on Monday that it "will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza".
Speaking in Ankara late on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the intervention against the "voyagers of hope" in the flotilla and called on the international community to act against Israel's actions.
Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail for a third time on Thursday from southern Turkey, after earlier attempts to deliver aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israel in international waters.
The group said there were 426 people taking part in the 54-vessel flotilla from 39 countries.
Israel's foreign ministry has called on "all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately".
This flotilla is made up of pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas activists.
Reporting by Daren Butler
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank is on the way, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting attack in Hebron just days before Tuesday’s general election.
Four days. That’s all that separates Israel from an election billed as the most consequential in its history. And yet, if the polls are right, Israelis may wake up on October 28 to the most familiar result of all: no winner.
Reserved, media-shy, and a relative newcomer to Israeli politics, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot presents a clear contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the veteran leader he aims to defeat in an election next week.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.