Israel Intercepts Gaza-Bound Flotilla, Drawing International Condemnation

In a post on X on Thursday, Netanyahu praised the Israeli Navy for stopping the vessels before they reached Gaza. "Well done to our Navy! I instructed them to prevent a Hamas-supporting flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza. The mission was executed with complete success," he said.

"No ship and no Hamas supporter reached our territory, and not even our territorial waters," Netanyahu added. "They were turned back and will return to their countries of origin. They will continue to see Gaza on YouTube."

The US State Department backed Israel's position. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X, "The US condemns the Global Sumud Flotilla as a baseless, counterproductive stunt organised by a sanctioned pro-Hamas entity."

"Unlike organized assistance mechanisms coordinated with regional partners thanks to @POTUS's peace plan, this flotilla circumvents mechanisms designed to ensure humanitarian assistance is received by civilians," Pigott added. "Our allies should take decisive action against this stunt, and participants should face any relevant legal consequences."

According to the Jerusalem Post, more than 20 ships and around 175 activists involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla were intercepted by the Israeli Navy on Wednesday night in international waters.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said the flotilla was stopped "due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade."

"The operation was carried out in international waters peacefully and without any casualties," the ministry said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar defended the operation. In a post on X, he said that Israel had "successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla."

"All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed," Sa'ar said. He added that, in coordination with Greece, those transferred to Israeli vessels would be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours.

"We call on anyone who is not interested in provocations but rather in humanitarian aid to Gaza to do so through the BOP," Sa'ar said. "Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza."

The interception drew criticism from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who accused Israel of violating international law. "Israel is once again violating international law by assaulting a civilian flotilla in waters that do not belong to it," Sanchez said on X.

"Our Government is doing everything necessary to protect and assist the detained Spaniards," he said, while urging the European Union to "suspend the association agreement NOW and demand that Netanyahu comply with the law of our seas."

Also, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned Israel's actions.

"Last night, Israeli forces intercepted and boarded a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza in international waters off the coast of Greece -- unlawfully detaining more than 175 people, including several New Yorkers. My team has been in direct contact with State and Federal partners as we work to confirm the whereabouts and conditions of these New Yorkers. This is a brazen violation of international law. Those detained must be released," he wrote on X.

Iran also condemned the operation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, in comments carried by IRIB broadcaster, accused Israel of carrying out "piracy" by stopping and detaining activists aboard the flotilla.

Baghaei described Israel's "attack" on the convoy as "a blow to the awakened conscience of humanity" and called for international pressure to secure the activists' release.

The Global Sumud Flotilla condemned the interception as unlawful. In a statement cited by the Jerusalem Post, the group said, "What we are witnessing is the attempted normalisation of Israeli control over the Mediterranean itself and an escalation of Israel's impunity."

"No state has the right to claim, police, or occupy international waters," the organisation added.

- ANI