ISTANBUL: Israeli naval forces attacked an international aid flotilla bound for the besieged Gaza Strip and detained at least 317 activists on board, organisers said on Thursday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
According to the official flotilla tracker, 21 vessels were attacked by Israeli naval forces, 19 others were believed to have been attacked, and four were still en route to Gaza.
At least 317 activists from 21 vessels were detained by Israeli forces, according to the tracker.
The detained activists were on their way to Israel’s Ashdod Port, from which they would be deported to Europe.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces surrounded the vessels as they sailed towards Gaza to challenge a years-long Israeli blockade. Activists reported signal jamming and communication being cut aboard most of the boats.
Several activists posted videos on social media showing Israeli naval boats approaching the convoy and ordering them to change course.
The committee accused Israel of using violence against the activists, saying naval forces rammed one ship, deployed water cannons and forcibly boarded vessels, while “brutally mistreating peaceful detainees from 50 countries around the world.”
The aid flotilla was less than 80 nautical miles (148 kilometres) from Gaza before being attacked by the Israeli Navy.
The flotilla, carrying mainly humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August and was expected to reach Gaza’s coast on Thursday morning under normal circumstances.
This marked the first time in years that more than 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries to the enclave of 2.4 million Palestinians that has been under Israeli blockade for roughly 18 years.
Israel tightened the siege further on March 2 by closing all border crossings and blocking food, medicine, and aid, pushing Gaza into famine despite aid trucks piling up at its borders.
The Israeli army has killed over 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases – BERNAMA-ANADOLU