BREAKING NEWS: Global Sumud Flotilla Ship Intercepted by 'Israel', Activists Threatened with Weapons
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, ATHENS – The humanitarian voyage of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) to breach the Gaza blockade has been disrupted by Zionist Israel. On Wednesday night (29/4/2026), 11 of the 56 GSF ships sailing in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea near Greece lost contact after being approached by the Zionist Israeli military fleet.
“Just now, less than half an hour ago, I, as one of the Steering Committee members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, received clear information to share with the public that our flotilla, currently consisting of 56 ships, was approached by a ship that identified itself as from Israel,” said Maimon Herawati, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla Steering Committee, when met by Republika in Istanbul in the early hours of Thursday.
She explained that activists on the Greenpeace-owned Arctic Sunrise ship reported being approached by a vessel claiming to be from the Israeli occupying forces. They then pointed semi-automatic weapons at the participants in the fleet heading to Gaza and forced them to kneel.
“So we haven’t confirmed if it’s Israel or not, but it self-identified or said it was from Israel and then ordered our friends to turn back,” said Maimon.
In a radio contact recording sent by the GSF side, the interceptor can be heard claiming to be from the Israeli Navy. He also threatened to take action if the fleet continued its voyage to Gaza.
“Any further attempt to sail towards Gaza will endanger your safety and leave the IDF with no choice but to take all necessary measures to enforce the lawful maritime security blockade,” the recording stated.
He then urged the ship to turn back and return to its port of origin. “If you are carrying humanitarian aid, you are welcome to proceed to the port of Ashdod, where the aid will undergo security checks and subsequently be transferred to the Gaza Strip.”
“It is dangerous to remain on your current course. If you continue to attempt to breach the maritime blockade, we will stop your vessel and request its seizure through legal proceedings in court. You bear full responsibility for your actions.”
After the incident, 11 ships then lost contact and could not be reached. Maimon, who represents the Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI), suspects this is because the radio signals were jammed by the interceptors of those ships. “So they blocked the frequencies, resulting in 11 ships that we cannot detect their current condition. But so far, we hope, because there is no certainty yet.”
Meanwhile, seven GSF ships believed to be intercepted by occupying soldiers and possibly hijacked include the Arkham, Romantica, Goleta, Saf Saf or Mothership, Bianca, Bella Blu, and Eros I ships.
“We hope this is not yet an interception or hijacking. The conditions of friends in other locations are calm, composed, not panicked. And in accordance with previous training, this is a non-violence movement, a non-violent movement,” said Maimon. She also detailed that around 110 participants are on those 11 ships.
According to Maimon, surveillance of the fleet had already been indicated when the ships were still docked in Barcelona, Spain. “When I was on night watch, there were already drones visible,” she said. She mentioned that seven drones were identified surveilling the fleet since in Spain.