Israeli naval forces have intercepted and attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla on its way to the besieged Gaza Strip, seizing dozens of boats carrying humanitarian aid and detaining more than 300 activists, including prominent figures such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The flotilla, consisting of over 40 vessels and 500 international activists, set sail with the mission of delivering food, medical supplies, and essential aid to Gaza, where more than 66,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed in Israeli bombardments since October 2023.

With Gaza facing famine, disease, and devastation from Israel’s tightened blockade, activists described their mission as an urgent lifeline to a population on the brink of survival.

Participants reported that Israeli warships circled and harassed the flotilla as it neared within 90 nautical miles of Gaza’s shore. One lead vessel, the Alma, was forced into evasive maneuvers after being aggressively surrounded, with communications, cameras, and livestreams cut off. Similar tactics were reported against the Sirius, another key ship in the convoy.

Despite the presence of European nationals, including Italian politicians and Spanish citizens, Israeli forces moved in late Wednesday, seizing 21 vessels and transporting at least 317 activists to Ashdod Port for deportation. According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the activists will be expelled to Europe in the coming days.

The raid drew swift condemnation. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described Israel’s actions as “a violation of international law,” stressing that the flotilla posed no danger to Tel Aviv and was solely aimed at alleviating Gaza’s worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

“We have conveyed to the Israeli government that it is necessary they protect not only the rights of our compatriots but of all members of the flotilla,” Sánchez said, pledging diplomatic protection for Spanish nationals.

Meanwhile, mass protests erupted across European capitals, including Athens, Rome, and Brussels, in solidarity with the detained activists and against Israel’s continuing blockade.

The attack comes as Gaza endures one of the most destructive wars in modern history. Israel’s bombardments have destroyed schools, hospitals, and homes, with the most recent airstrike hitting al-Falah School in Gaza City’s Zeitoun district, killing at least seven displaced civilians, including a civil defense worker.

Despite international calls to allow aid into the enclave, Israel has sealed all border crossings since March, leaving food and medicine stockpiled outside Gaza while families inside face starvation. Humanitarian groups warn that the territory has been rendered uninhabitable, with children enduring mass amputations, trauma, and a scale of suffering unprecedented in history.

The Global Sumud Flotilla marks the first time in years that such a large-scale maritime effort to break Israel’s blockade has sailed toward Gaza, reviving memories of earlier flotilla campaigns. Organizers declared before the interception that they would not back down: “The humanitarian demand to break the blockade cannot be walked back to port.”