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ISLAMABAD: More than 400 pro-Palestinian activists aboard 41 vessels in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were detained by Israeli naval forces after a 12-hour operation, an Israeli official said Thursday, according to AFP. &ldquo;In an operation that lasted roughly 12 hours, Israeli Navy personnel foiled a large-scale incursion attempt by hundreds of individuals aboard 41 vessels that had declared their intention to breach the legal maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip,&rdquo; the official said. The detainees, more than 400 in total, were taken to the port of Ashdod for processing, Israeli authorities confirmed. Organizers of the voyage, the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), said 443 volunteers were aboard, some transferred onto a cargo vessel before being brought ashore, Reuters reported. Netanyahu praises interceptionPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the naval operation, saying it had prevented &ldquo;dozens of vessels from entering the war zone&rdquo; and had &ldquo;repelled a campaign of delegitimisation against Israel.&rdquo; The interception took place on Yom Kippur, Israel&rsquo;s holiest day. The GSF began its voyage last month with around 45 vessels carrying politicians, activists, and rights campaigners, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The United Nations has warned that famine has taken hold in Gaza. The Israeli navy intercepted vessels throughout Wednesday and Thursday, warning participants against entering what it described as blockade waters. Thunberg&rsquo;s boat was among those halted. Deportations to Europe plannedIsrael&rsquo;s foreign ministry said the activists would be deported to Europe, posting photos of Thunberg and others aboard a yacht. &ldquo;Hamas-Sumud passengers on their yachts are making their way safely and peacefully to Israel, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin,&rdquo; the ministry said on X. Global ReactionsRights group Amnesty International condemned the interception as &ldquo;an act of intimidation intended to punish and silence critics of Israel&rsquo;s genocide and its unlawful blockade on Gaza.&rdquo; Turkey called the move &ldquo;an act of terrorism&rdquo; and opened an investigation after Turkish nationals were detained. Spain summoned Israel&rsquo;s top envoy in Madrid, noting 65 Spaniards were on board, while prosecutors launched a probe into possible crimes against humanity. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum demanded the &ldquo;immediate&rdquo; repatriation of six Mexican nationals, stressing they had &ldquo;committed no crime.&rdquo;&nbsp; South Africa also called for the release of all detainees, including Mandla Mandela, grandson of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. Israel has previously blocked flotilla attempts in June and July this year.

Middle East

Pro-Palestinian activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were detained by Israel, sparking international condemnation. Nations including Turkey, Spain, and South Africa demanded activist releases, while Israel has defended enforcing its maritime blockade.

Over 400 Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel

A screengrab from a livestream shows Israeli navy forces aboard the Gaza-bound vessel Florida, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which organizers say was intercepted Oct. 2, 2025. (Global Sumud Flotilla via Reuters)

Israeli naval forces intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla about 70 nautical miles off Gaza, boarding Alma, Sirius, and Adara, detaining activists including Greta Thunberg and Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan. Twenty-one vessels are confirmed intercepted, 19 assumed, and four still sailing or under legal support.

Pakistan 'strongly condemns' Israel for interception of Global Sumud Flotilla 

Reuters

ROME: The international flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza reported on Wednesday that several of its boats were approached by unidentified vessels, some of which were navigating without lights. The Global Sumud Flotilla stated in a Telegram post that the vessels have departed, and participants have implemented security protocols in anticipation of a possible interception. The development comes a day after the Italian defense ministry said its navy would stop following the international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza once it gets within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of the shore. The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of more than 40 civilian boats carrying parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel&#39;s blockade of the Palestinian enclave. Once the convoy reaches the 150 nautical miles limit, the Italian frigate accompanying it will stop, &quot;as communicated several times in recent days,&quot; the ministry said in a statement. The ship will issue two warnings to activists, with the second and final one expected at around 00:00 GMT, when the flotilla is anticipated to reach the stated distance, the statement added. Earlier on Tuesday, an Italian spokeswoman for the flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, said that activists had been informed about the government&#39;s plans to have the navy ship stop and turn back to avoid &quot;a diplomatic incident&quot; with Israel. She said the flotilla had no intention of heeding Italy&#39;s warnings not to get closer to the shore. Italy and Spain deployed navy vessels last week to assist the flotilla, after it was hit by drones armed with stun grenades and irritants in international waters off Greece, but without any intention to engage militarily. Delia said activists were bracing for another strike in the coming hours. &quot;Israel will probably attack us tonight, because all the signals point to this happening,&quot; she said in a video on Instagram. Israel did not respond to flotilla accusations that it was behind last week&#39;s attacks, but it has vowed to use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its blockade is legal as part of its war against Hamas militants. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said he expects flotilla boats to be intercepted in the open sea and activists to face arrest. On Tuesday, Crosetto made a &quot;last appeal&quot; to flotilla members to accept a compromise proposal to drop aid in Cyprus and avoid a confrontation with Israeli forces. Flotilla representatives have repeatedly refused the offer. Israel began its Gaza offensive after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive has since killed over 66,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.

Asia

Europe

Vessels later departed and flotilla participants implemented security protocols in anticipation of a possible interception.

Articles tagged with "Gaza flotilla"

Over 400 Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel

Pakistan 'strongly condemns' Israel for interception of Global Sumud Flotilla

Gaza flotilla says unlit vessels approached its boats, prompting security measures