Netanyahu comments on Israel intercepting Global Sumud Flotilla ship boarded by Indonesian nationals
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the Israeli Navy’s interception of ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying the operation thwarted a ‘nefarious plan’ to breach the blockade. ‘I believe you are doing an extraordinary job… and essentially have thwarted the nefarious plan designed to breach the blockade we have imposed against Hamas terrorists in Gaza,’ Netanyahu said, according to AFP as reproduced by detikNews on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. ‘You carried it out very successfully… and of course with far less fanfare than our enemies anticipated… Continue until the end,’ he told the naval commander.
The Global Sumud Flotilla reported that en route, dozens of ships were intercepted and attacked by Israeli forces in international waters near Cyprus. The flotilla is said to be on a mission to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. The armada comprises more than 50 ships, sailing since Thursday 14 May from Marmaris district in the Turkish waters of the Mediterranean. The flotilla crisis management team confirmed that Israeli soldiers attacked and boarded several ships, with contact lost with 23 vessels.
Live broadcasts from the flotilla showed the moment Israeli forces attacked and boarded ships one by one. Israeli media outlet Walla reported that about 100 activists were detained; five of them were Indonesian nationals, with Global Peace Convoy Indonesia confirming the detention of the Indonesians by Israel. In a separate statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the humanitarian convoy as a provocation and vowed to prevent the vessel crews from reaching Gaza.
A video released by Tel Aviv to journalists shows a group of activists embracing on an Israeli ship after being moved from the Global Sumud Flotilla ships. Local Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that some activists were moved to a naval vessel described as a ‘floating prison’ before being taken to the Ashdod port in southern Israel.
The Global Sumud Flotilla ships are said to carry humanitarian and emergency aid, including infant formula for Gaza residents suffering from the humanitarian crisis caused by Israeli attacks since October 2023. However, Oren Marmostein, a spokesperson for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, disputed that there was humanitarian aid on the ships. ‘So far, no humanitarian aid has been found on their ships,’ Marmostein told detikNews. The Foreign Ministry also rejected claims that Gaza faced a shortage of humanitarian aid, saying, ‘The Gaza Strip is flooded with aid. Since October, more than 1.58 million tonnes of humanitarian aid and thousands of tonnes of medical supplies have entered Gaza,’ he said.