Israeli forces stopped dozens of boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Crete on Thursday, preventing the activist convoy from sailing toward Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Israeli navy for the operation. In a post on X, he said that he directed the navy to block the flotilla, which he called a Hamas support mission.
“The mission was carried out with complete success. No ship and no Hamas supporter reached our territory, or even our territorial waters,” he said. He added that the vessels were turned back to their countries of origin. “They will continue to see Gaza on YouTube.”
The Israeli navy intercepted about 22 boats carrying around 175 activists, according to reports from both Israeli officials and flotilla organizers.
The action took place hundreds of miles from Gaza and Israel, near the Greek island of Crete, and about 600 nautical miles from the Gaza coast.
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Israeli forces boarded the vessels, and the activists were detained. Some reports said communications on the boats were jammed during the operation.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is an international activist effort with boats from many countries. Organizers said more than 70 vessels took part in the spring 2026 mission.
The group left from ports in Spain and Italy earlier this month. They tried to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, including medical supplies.
Activists described the mission as peaceful and said they carried food and medicine for people in Gaza.
Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza
Israel has maintained a naval blockade on Gaza for years, with officials saying it is needed to stop weapons and other material from reaching Hamas, the group that controls Gaza and that Israel and several other countries list as a terrorist organization.
Israeli leaders have said aid to Gaza should go through established land crossings and security checks, not private sea convoys.
The foreign ministry in Israel said the IDF took control of more than 20 boats. It urged the activists to use authorized channels for any aid rather than attempt to breach the blockade by sea.
Netanyahu‘s office and the military have not released full details of the boarding operations, but they confirmed the flotilla did not get close to Israeli or Gaza waters.
Activists on the flotilla gave a different account as they called the Israeli action a “violent raid” in international waters.
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Some said Israeli speedboats and forces boarded their vessels without permission. Greenpeace, which had a ship providing support, reported that Israeli forces harassed the boats and that contact was lost with several vessels.
Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned the interceptions, calling them “an act of piracy.” Amnesty International raised concerns about the safety of the detained activists.
This is the second year in a row that the Global Sumud Flotilla has tried to reach Gaza by sea. Last year, Israeli forces stopped around 40 vessels from the same effort.
Organizers say the flotilla brings together people from more than 70 countries who want to show solidarity with Palestinians and highlight the blockade. They argue that Israel’s restrictions amount to collective punishment of Gaza’s civilians.
Israel rejects that claim. Officials point to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and led to hostages being taken.
The war that followed has caused heavy destruction in Gaza and a major humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, medicine, and other supplies reported by aid groups.
As of Thursday evening, some boats from the flotilla remained at sea or had reached Greek waters, according to the group’s tracker.
What this operation means
Israeli officials said the operation showed that attempts to challenge the naval blockade would not succeed.
The detained activists are expected to be taken to Israel for questioning before being sent home.
Israeli defense sources said the navy acted professionally, with no injuries reported on either side during the interceptions.
The military has not commented publicly on claims of damaged equipment or stranded boats.
