Organizers Say Israel Intercepts Final Gaza-Bound Aid Ship

The Israeli military on Friday intercepted the last vessel of an aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, a day after most of the ships were stopped and nearly 450 activists — including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg — were detained.

According to the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the ship Marinete was halted about 42.5 nautical miles (79 km) off Gaza’s coast on Friday morning. Israeli Army Radio reported that the navy had taken control of the vessel, detained those on board, and was escorting it to Israel’s Ashdod port.

In a statement, the flotilla organizers said: “Israeli naval forces have now illegally intercepted all 42 of our ships — each carrying humanitarian aid, volunteers, and a determination to challenge Israel’s unlawful blockade of Gaza.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vessel’s status. On Thursday, however, the ministry had said that if the flotilla’s last remaining ship attempted to breach the blockade, it would be stopped.

The flotilla, which set sail in late August, was intended as a protest against Israel’s blockade of Gaza. It comes nearly two years after Israel launched its Gaza offensive, following Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

Israeli officials have repeatedly condemned the mission as a provocation. The navy had earlier warned flotilla organizers that they were approaching an active war zone and violating a legitimate blockade, urging them to change course. It said it had offered safe channels for the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.