Israel continues to attack the Global Sumud Flotilla aid flotilla
Istanbul — Israeli naval forces are reportedly still attacking and boarding the Global Sumud Flotilla aid convoy in international waters as the humanitarian convoy heads for the Gaza Strip.
“The interception continues. Israeli military ships are currently illegally boarding our convoy. We are on high alert as we press toward Gaza. We refuse to be intimidated,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said on Tuesday.
The organisers of the humanitarian mission said 10 aid vessels have escaped Israeli attacks over 22 hours in international waters and continued sailing toward Gaza.
“The ships are now only 121 nautical miles from the Gaza coast,” the statement said.
This marks the second attack by Israel on the aid flotilla in just over 24 hours after the Israeli military launched an attack on Monday (18 May) against the aid convoy in international waters.
The flotilla, consisting of 54 ships, sailed on Thursday (14 May) from the Marmaris district in Turkey, in a renewed attempt to break the blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 2007.
This is not the first such incident. At the end of April, the Israeli military attacked flotilla ships in international waters near Crete, Greece. The convoy carried 345 participants from 39 countries, including Turkish nationals.
Israel subsequently released the activists in international waters, except for two individuals: a Spanish activist and a Brazilian activist, who were taken to a detention centre in Israel before being deported.
Around 2.4 million Palestinians, including about 1.5 million refugees, are living in dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
The situation has been exacerbated by the conflict, now in its second year, which has killed more than 72,700 people and injured more than 172,700, with women and children making up a large share. The conditions have sparked a severe famine.
Although a ceasefire was announced in October 2025, Israel is said to continue restricting access to humanitarian aid and carrying out daily attacks that have killed 877 Palestinians and wounded 2,602, according to local authorities.
Source: Anadolu