Israel Attacks Global Sumud Flotilla Carrying Aid and Baby Formula
The Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian armada accused Israeli forces of attacking and intercepting vessels carrying aid to Gaza in international waters. At least 100 activists from various countries, including Indonesia, were detained by the Tel Aviv military forces who boarded the ships.
The incident, reported by Anadolu Agency and AFP on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, occurred as Global Sumud Flotilla was undertaking its latest mission to break through the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip since 2007. Similar missions were intercepted by Israel last month.
The flotilla comprises more than 50 vessels that have been sailing since Thursday 14 May from the Marmaris district in the Mediterranean waters of Turkey.
The ships of the Global Sumud Flotilla carried humanitarian aid and emergency supplies, including infant formula, for Gaza residents suffering from the humanitarian crisis caused by the deadly Israeli assault since October 2023.
Live footage from the Global Sumud Flotilla ships showed moments when Israeli Navy forces attacked and boarded each vessel one by one.
“Global Sumud Flotilla is being attacked!” the organisers of Global Sumud Flotilla wrote in a statement on X.
“The Israeli occupation again illegally and violently intercepts our international humanitarian convoy and abducts our volunteers,” the statement said.
“We are angered by the normalisation of violations of international maritime law and the abducting of peaceful civilians in international waters,” asserted Global Sumud Flotilla.
A tracking website showing the armada’s location indicated that several ships were intercepted in the waters off western Cyprus.
The crisis management team of the humanitarian armada confirmed that Israeli soldiers attacked and boarded several ships, with contact lost for 23 of them.
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli forces detained the activists on board the ships and transferred them to a Navy vessel described as an ‘floating prison’, before taking them to the Ashdod port in southern Israel.
According to the news site Walla, Israeli forces have so far detained around 100 activists from the humanitarian mission.
Video footage shared by Global Sumud Flotilla shows activists recording moments when Israeli forces approach and board their ships.
According to Anadolu, under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, navigation on the high seas is generally protected by the principle of freedom of navigation, with ships subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state under whose flag they sail. Seizure of foreign vessels on the high seas is generally considered illegal, except in very limited circumstances that do not apply to the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The mission involved a total of 426 participants from 40 countries, including Germany, the United States, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Algeria, Morocco, France, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Egypt, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
Israel Arrests 5 Indonesian Nationals in Gaza Aid Mission, RI Demands Immediate Release
Earlier, Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI) announced that five Indonesian nationals were detained by Israel during the Global Sumud Flotilla mission as the vessels sailed in international waters toward Gaza.
The five Indonesian detainees were identified as activist Andi Angga, Republika journalist Bambang Noroyono, Tempo journalist Andre Prasetyo, Republika journalist Thoudy Badai, and iNews journalist Heru Rahendro.
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the actions in the strongest terms and demanded the immediate release of all crew and vessels detained in the vicinity of Cyprus.
Watch also the video ‘Indonesian Delegation Vessels Participating in Global Sumud Sailing to Gaza’