Naval vessels moved to block an international flotilla attempting to breach maritime blockades…
The encounter took place in international waters off the southern coast of Cyprus…
Commandos boarded the lead transport vessels to enforce transit restrictions without immediate reports of violent resistance…
Organizers claim the ships carry humanitarian provisions, while Jerusalem maintains strict enforcement protocols to prevent unvetted cargo drops…
The Mediterranean corridor is a permanent friction point…
Broad-daylight boarding by elite Israeli naval forces executed 250 nautical miles from Gaza.
ANKARA – Israel’s military intercepted boats off the coast of Cyprus on Monday, part of the latest wave of flotilla activists attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza’s shores.
The organization’s livestream showed activists aboard several vessels putting on life jackets and raising their hands before a boat carrying Israeli troops approached. Wearing tactical gear, they boarded the ship, and the livestream abruptly ended. Many of the ships are currently off the coast of Cyprus.
Other footage showed Israeli forces on speedboats approaching and instructing the activists to move to the front of the boat. At least 17 boats were intercepted in the first three hours of the operation, according to Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker.
54 civilian vessels belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla; departed Marmaris, Turkey last Thursday.
International waters west of Cyprus, sitting inside the island’s maritime search and rescue zone.