Based on Greek Overseas Minister George Gerapetritis, 39 of the round 45 ships have been intercepted and have been headed to the Israeli port metropolis of Ashdod, in line with state broadcaster ERT.
“All passengers are in good well being. No violence has been exercised,” Gerapetritis stated.
Israel stated the activists could be deported to Europe, with out specifying which nations they might be despatched to.
“Hamas-Sumud passengers on their yachts are making their method safely and peacefully to Israel, the place their deportation procedures to Europe will start,” the overseas ministry stated on X, posting photographs of Thunberg and different activists aboard a ship.
In a press release, the flotilla organisers branded the interceptions as “unlawful”.
“Past the confirmed interceptions, livestreams and communications with a number of different vessels have been misplaced,” they added.
“PIRACY”
Hamas, whose Oct 7, 2023 assault on Israel sparked the struggle in Gaza, condemned the interception of the flotilla as a “crime of piracy and maritime terrorism”.
With the struggle in Gaza dragging on, solidarity with the Palestinians has grown globally, with activists and more and more governments condemning Israel for its conduct.
Spain and Italy, which each despatched naval escorts to guard its residents on board the flotilla, had urged the activists to halt earlier than coming into Israel’s declared exclusion zone off Gaza, saying they might not be allowed to cross that mark.
The boats, with dozens of activists from all over the world on board, initially set sail from a number of European ports.
After a 10-day cease in Tunisia, the place organisers reported two drone assaults, the flotilla resumed its journey on Sep 15.
One of many principal ships, the Alma, was “aggressively circled by an Israeli warship”, the organisers stated, earlier than one other vessel, the Sirius, was subjected to “comparable harassing manoeuvres”.
