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Israeli naval forces intercepted 39 vessels from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Thursday, detaining dozens of activists — including international climate activist Greta Thunberg and several European lawmakers, The Associated Press reported.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set out across the Mediterranean with more than 40 boats carrying about 500 activists, was the largest yet to attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the enclave, according to the AP.
The flotilla has since been reduced to a single vessel still headed toward Gaza. Organizers with the Global Sumud Flotilla said on X that the boat was last tracked only a few miles off Gaza’s coast before contact was lost. Activists told the AP that they believed the flotilla’s size would make it harder for Israeli forces to intercept every vessel.
Photos and surveillance footage captured the moment Israeli soldiers in helmets and night vision goggles boarded the flotilla. A photo from Israel’s foreign ministry showed Thunberg, the most prominent of the flotilla’s passengers, accompanied by soldiers following the interception. Israeli officials said those detained included Thunberg, former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and European Parliament member Rima Hassan, according to the AP.
ISRAEL CLAIMS GRETA THUNBERG’S FLOTILLA SEEKING TO BREAK GAZA BLOCKADE HAS HAMAS TIES, CITES DOCUMENTS
Israel’s foreign ministry said on X that the activists were “safe and in good health” and would be transferred to Israel to be deported to Europe.
“The Hamas-Sumud provocation is over,” the Israel’s foreign ministry said in a post on X Thursday. “None of the Hamas-Sumud provocation yachts has succeeded in its attempt to enter an active combat zone or breach the lawful naval blockade. All the passengers are safe and in good health. They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe.”
“One last vessel of this provocation remains at a distance,” the post added. “If it approaches, its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented.”
ITALY’S MELONI SAYS GAZA FLOTILLA RISKS ESCALATION, COULD ‘BLOW UP’ POTENTIAL CEASEFIRE DEAL
News of the interception also drew condemnation and sparked demonstrations in cities including Rome, Naples, Istanbul, Athens and Buenos Aires, the AP said. Italy’s largest trade union announced a one-day general strike for Friday in protest, while more rallies were expected across the globe on Thursday, the outlet added.
The flotilla is part of a series of international efforts to challenge Israel’s blockade, which has been in place since 2007 after Hamas took control of Gaza. Previous attempts by activist flotillas to break the blockade have largely failed and sometimes sparked deadly clashes, including during the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla raid.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Global Sumud Flotilla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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