Activists say Israeli navy has begun intercepting a Gaza-bound aid flotilla : NPR

The ships that are part of the Flotilla Global Sumud in the direction of Gaza are anchored off the coast of Sidi Bou Saïd in Tunis, Tunisia, Tuesday, September 9.

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Anis Mili / AP

Barcelona, ​​Spain – activists aboard a flotilla of ships sailing towards Gaza said on Wednesday evening that the Israeli navy had started to intercept their ships as they approached the besieged Palestinian territory.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, with Greta Thunberg, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, Mandla Mandela, and several European legislators on board, consists of nearly 50 boats and 500 activists and has a symbolic aid of humanitarian aid. He did not remain discouraged in his mission to break the Israeli blockade of the coastal strip and reach the Palestinians.

Greg Stoker, an American veteran aboard one of the boats in the flotilla, said that about a dozen naval ships with their transponders had approached.

“They are currently living in our ships, telling us to deactivate our engines and wait for other instructions or boats will be seized and we will face the consequences,” he said in a trembling video published on Instagram while wearing a red life jacket.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that the navy had contacted the flotilla to ask them to change course and warn them that they are approaching “an active combat zone”. He reiterated his offer to transfer assistance to Gaza via other channels. These calls were taken up by other European governments, including Italy, which had sent a navy ship to follow the flotilla during part of its trip, but stopped as they got closer to the coasts of Gaza.

Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani confirmed the Israeli intervention and said the operation should take 2 to 3 hours. He told State TV Rai that boats would be towed to the port of Asrael and activists would be expelled in the coming days. He also said the Israeli forces had been informed “not to use violence.”

The flotilla enters a “danger zone”

The ships were sailing in international waters north of Egypt on Wednesday and had entered what activists and others called a “danger zone” or a “high risk zone”. Although it is still in international waters, it is an area where the Israeli navy has prevented other boats that try to break its blockade in the past and that the flotilla has been warned not to cross.

Overnight, the activists said that two Israeli warships had aggressively accessible two of their boats, surrounding them and blurring their communications, including live cameras on board.

“It was an act of intimidation. They wanted us to see them,” said Lisi Proença, another activist who was on board the Sirius, a targeted ship alongside Alma.

After the tight meeting overnight, the military ships finally left and the flotilla continued its trip, broadcasting cameras live from several of its boats.

A live trip

On Wednesday afternoon, the atmosphere seemed to be more relaxed aboard the bridges of some of the sailboats that broadcast their trips through live flows 24/7. Some activists have retained solidarity messages with people in Gaza and chanted “Free Palestine!” to the camera. You could hear music playing in the background. Participants in the flotilla also flooded social media with videos of their trip and constant updates.

If he was not disrupted, the flotilla, which started its trip from the Spanish port of Barcelona a month ago, was to reach the banks of Gaza before Thursday morning, the group said.

However, the activists said it was unlikely and that they expected the Israeli authorities to try to stop them at any time, as they did in past attempts.

As night fell, they detected several unidentified ships via radar approaching them and put their life vests before the imminent arrival of the Israeli army. While the Israelis approached with lively lights pointed at them, some activists were able to broadcast the moment live of their smartphones before throwing their devices in the water.

Israel and other governments urge them to go back

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Gideon Saar, described the provocation Flotilla and warned them to stop and transfer their aid to other channels in Gaza. “It’s not too late,” he posted on X.

The Israeli government has accused some of the flotilla members of being linked to Hamas, while providing little evidence in support of the complaint. Activists firmly rejected the accusations and said ISRAEL was trying to justify potential attacks on them.

European governments, including Spain and Italy, who had sent their navy ships to escort the flotilla during part of its trip, urged activists to turn around and avoid confrontation. But while the first Italian Giorgia Meloni said late Tuesday on Tuesday, the actions of the flotilla risk undermining the recent proposal from US President Donald Trump to resolve the war in Gaza, the Spanish Prime Minister defended them.

“We must remember that it is a humanitarian mission that would not take place if the Israeli government had authorized the entrance to the aid,” Pedro Sánchez told journalists on Wednesday. The participating Spaniards would benefit from complete diplomatic protection, he added.

“They have no threats or danger to Israel,” he said.

What international maritime law says

The United Nations Convention on the Act of the Sea stipulates that a state has a jurisdiction only up to 12 nabin miles (19 kilometers) on its banks. In general, states do not have the right to seize ships in international waters, although armed conflicts are an exception to this.

Yuval Shany, an expert in international law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that as long as the blockade of Israel in Gaza is “militarily justified” – intended to prevent weapons – and the ship intended to break the seat, Israel can intercept the ship after the previous warning. The question of whether the blockade is militarily justified and the legality of the blockade is a point of discord.

But the flotilla argues that they are a civilian group and not armed and that the adoption of humanitarian aid is guaranteed in international law.

Omer Shatz, an expert in Israeli international law who teaches Po de Sciences university in Paris in Paris and co -plotted a previous flotilla affair before the Israeli Supreme Court, told the Associated Press that even if the disputed headquarters of Gaza was considered legal and national of the prohibited versions of Gaza, “he declared from the high seas in Gaza – off Gaza, “he said.

“If the basic needs of the population are not provided by the power of occupation, there is the right to provide humanitarian aid, although under certain conditions,” said Shatz. Israel, for example, would have the right to get on board and search the ships with help to check its cargo, in the same way as what it does with aid trucks crossing Gaza on the ground.