A ship from the fleet that is heading towards the Gaza strip is seen in the Tunisian waters, on September 9, 2025. Photo: Hasan Mrad / Zuma Press / Profimedia
Over 400 Pro-Palestinian militants aboard 41 ships from a flotilla for the Gaza strip were arrested by Israeli Naval Forces, an Israeli official said on Thursday, according to AFP.
“In an operation that lasted about 12 hours, the staff of the Israeli navy has denying an attempt to raise on a large scale of hundreds of people on board 41 ships who have declared their intention to violate the legal maritime block of the Gaza strip,” the official explained.
“At the end of the operation, over 400 participants were safely transferred to the Ashdod port to be taken over by the Israeli police,” he added.
Global Sumud Flotila, made up of dozens of maritime ships, with pro-Palestinian political and militants on over 40 countries, including Swedish Environmental activist Greta Thunberg, left Spain in September, with the purpose of trying to cross the blockade imposed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, hit by the UN.
The Israeli army has intercepted the fleet with humanitarian aid that wants to break the blockade on the Gaza strip. What do the organizers say they will do further
Attempting to break the blockade
The approach of this fleet represents the latest attempt at breaking the Israeli block on the Gaza strip, after a large part of the Palestinian enclave has been transformed into a deserted land of the war that lasts almost two years.
Flotila hoped to reach Gaza Thursday, if she hadn't been intercepted.
Last week, Flotila was attacked by drones, which threw paralyzing and irritating powder on the ships, causing damage, but without injuring.
Israel did not comment on the attack, but transmitted that he will use any means to prevent the ships from reaching Gaza, arguing that his naval block is legal, as he is fighting the Coastal Enclava militants.
Italy and Spain sent military ships to help rescue or humanitarian operations, but they stopped tracking the fleet after it approached 280 km from Gaza, for safety reasons. Turkish drones also supervised ships.
On Wednesday, Italy and Greece commonly asked Israel not to hurt the activists on board and asked the fleet to teach the Catholic Church aid to be delivered indirectly in Gaza-a request that Flotila has previously rejected.
Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as an advertising maneuver or challenge.
“This systematic refusal (to teach aid) shows that the goal is not humanitarian, but provocative. They do not seek to help, but seek an incident,” said Jonathan Peled, Israel's ambassador, in a post on the social network X.
Israel claims that the naval blockade imposed since 2007 is necessary to prevent the introduction of weapons to the Palestinian Terrorist group. The Israeli authorities described other attempts to violate it, including one in June attended by Greta Thunberg, as a propaganda in support of Hamas.
The Israeli forces then intercepted the humanitarian vessel as it approached the Gaza strip and expelled Thunberg and the other activists after being escorted to the shore.
