Israel Intercepts Aid Flotilla, Detains Greta Thunberg & Hundreds of Activists.

October 2, 2025 – Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla—a convoy of over 40 civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid and more than 400 activists from 44 countries—detaining prominent figures including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and several European lawmakers. The operation, conducted approximately 75 nautical miles off Gaza’s coast in international waters, has ignited global condemnation and protests in cities like Rome, Istanbul, and Athens.

The flotilla, organized to challenge Israel’s longstanding maritime blockade of Gaza amid the ongoing war, set sail from Mediterranean ports last month with symbolic aid shipments like food and medical supplies. Activists accused Israeli forces of “piracy” and aggression, reporting water cannon blasts, ramming, and boarding without warning, which disrupted livestreams and endangered passengers. Israel’s Foreign Ministry countered that the vessels were safely stopped for entering an “active combat zone” and offered to transfer aid via Ashkelon port, labeling the mission a “provocation” linked to Hamas. Video footage showed Thunberg calmly interacting with soldiers before detention on the Alma vessel, her second such incident this year.

Organizers reported 39 boats intercepted, with detainees—including Thunberg, Italian and Spanish MPs—transferred to Ashdod port for deportation hearings. One vessel, the Mikeno, briefly evaded capture but lost contact near Gaza. Protests erupted worldwide, with Italy’s largest union calling a strike and Colombia expelling Israeli diplomats.

The flotilla had been accompanied by Italian and Spanish naval vessels following alleged drone attacks and communications jamming, but these peeled away well before the interception began.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for Israel to “urgently lift the blockade on Gaza and allow the entry of life-saving material through all means possible”, Further the statement adds that it must agree to facilitate impartial humanitarian relief schemes “without hindrance”.