Israel Detains at Least 40 Global Sumud Flotilla Ships and 300 Humanitarian Activists

Israel’s army has intercepted at least 40 of the 54 ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a Gaza-bound humanitarian convoy, in international waters as of Tuesday (19 May), drawing widespread international condemnation. The 54-ship flotilla began sailing from Marmaris, Turkey, on Thursday (14 May). Its aim was to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza in place since 2007; however, the Israeli military acted before the vessels reached their destination. According to a report by Walla citing security sources, the Israeli ground forces have detained around 300 activists. Nevertheless, reports say some ships managed to slip through and continue to sail at sea. ‘The Israeli naval forces have not yet intercepted all ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla convoy. Some vessels have escaped Israeli interception and remain at sea,’ the Walla report said. The interception adds to a long list of violence against humanitarian missions. Earlier in April, Israel also attacked a flotilla near Crete, Greece, carrying 345 volunteers from 39 countries. Currently, about 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza live in dire conditions due to the aggression of the past two years. Data shows more than 72,700 people have died and 172,700 injured, the majority of whom are women and children. Severe hunger threatens the region due to a total blockade and impediments to international aid. As of this report, the international community continues to press for the release of activists and assurances of safety for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, including discussions about using Rupiah for logistics assistance from Indonesia.