Israeli navy intercepts most flotilla boats and arrests activists. A
single boat stops nears Gaza
[October 02, 2025]
By IBRAHIM HAZBOUN and RENATA BRITO
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli navy soldiers boarded most of the vessels and
detained dozens of activists aboard a flotilla attempting to break
Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The organizers said one boat had managed to
sail on but stopped near Gaza's coast on Thursday morning before contact
with the vessel was lost.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said that 39 of their boats were intercepted —
or assumed intercepted as communication with the activists was lost — by
Thursday morning in an Israeli operation that began the night before.
Unlike previous sea attempts, this flotilla was the largest yet to try
and break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The activists said they believed
that with the sheer number of boats, it would be more difficult for
Israeli authorities to intercept them all.
The organizers remained in contact with two vessels, though one was
expecting that Israeli troops would board it imminently. They also lost
contact with one remaining boat whose last coordinates showed it to be
only a few miles from Gaza's shores, inside territorial waters.
Supporters of the flotilla took to the streets in several major cities
late Wednesday, after news of the interception broke — including Rome,
Naples, Istanbul, Athens and Buenos Aires — to decry Israeli actions and
the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. More protests were
expected Thursday around the world. Italy’s largest union called for a
one-day general strike on Friday.
The flotilla, which started out with more than 40 boats and 500
activists, was carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
It had been streaming its voyage online via live cameras aboard
different boats, though connections were lost as Israeli authorities
began intercepting them in international waters on Wednesday evening.
Activists and European lawmakers detained
Israeli soldiers detained and removed dozens of activists — including
Greta Thunberg, former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, European parliament
member Rima Hassan and others — from the flotilla.
Israel's Foreign Ministry posted photos and videos of the activists,
saying in a statement on X that they were “safe and in good health” and
would be transferred to Israel for deportation procedures to Europe.
Earlier, live broadcasts overnight from the activists, showed Israeli
boats approaching their vessels, spraying them with water canons and
flashing bright lights before soldiers boarded the flotilla.
Anticipating the interceptions, activists wearing life jackets sat in
circles and raised their hands in the air. Some managed to stream the
moment live from their cell phones before tossing their devices into the
sea.
The night-long operation that carried on as the sun rose appeared to be
largely peaceful.
Governments around the world decry flotilla's interception
Turkey, Colombia, Pakistan, Malaysia and others condemned Israel's
interception of the flotilla.
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This frame grab from video released by the Global Summed Flotilla
shows as Israeli navy soldiers board one of the flotilla vessels as
they approach the coast of Gaza early Thursday Oct. 2, 2025. (Global
Sumud Flottila via AP)
Italy and France, which had warned their activist not to continue
the journey and avoid confrontation with Israel, said they were
working with Israeli diplomatic authorities to ensure their citizens
were transferred to land and deported home swiftly and peacefully.
Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday slammed Italian unions
for their decision to call a general strike on Friday in solidarity
with the flotilla, accusing them of seeking to cause wide
disruptions across the country.
“I continue to believe that all this brings no benefit to the
Palestinian people. On the other hand, I understand that it will
bring a lot of problems to Italian citizens,” Meloni told reporters
upon her arrival in Copenhagen for an informal European Union
summit.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry described the interceptions as an “act of
terrorism” and a severe breach of international law in a statement
late Wednesday. The ministry said it was working to ensure the
immediate release of Turkish citizens and other activists detained
by Israeli forces.
Colombia's President Gustavo Petro announced late Wednesday that his
government will expel Israel’s diplomatic delegation in the South
American country over the interception. Two Colombian citizens are
taking part in the flotilla.
Petro has repeatedly described Israel’s siege of Gaza as genocide
and broke diplomatic ties with Israel in May 2024 over the
Israel-Hamas war.
The Colombian leader also announced he will terminate his country’s
free trade agreement with Israel over the flotilla’s interception,
which he said was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “new
international crime.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday also condemned Israel’s
interception, calling it a violation of international law and a
threat to civilian lives. The detention of actvists was part of
Israel’s “ongoing aggression,” it said, adding that Israel's
blockade of Gaza had cause “immense suffering” for more than 2
million Palestinians in the strip.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a strong supporter of
Palestinians, said Israel's actions in blocking the flotilla from
reaching Gaza show “utter contempt not only for the rights of the
Palestinian people but also for the conscience of the world.”
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Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain.
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