The Israeli military intercepted a nine-boat flotilla trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza early Wednesday in the Mediterranean Sea and detained scores of activists on board, the flotilla organizers and the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said the 145 activists taking part in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition & Thousand Madleens to Gaza, were in good health and were being brought to shore in Israel for processing before they are deported.

The interception came after nearly 450 activists from a previous, high-profile flotilla — including European lawmakers and climate activist Greta Thunberg — were intercepted on more than 40 boats last week trying to reach Gaza with a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid.

While most of the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla have been deported, six of them — from Norway, Morocco and Spain — remain detained in Israel, lawyers representing them said late Tuesday.

The latest flotilla trying to reach Gaza
The organizers of this latest flotilla decried the new detentions on Wednesday as “arbitrary and unlawful.”

The activists on board the nine-vessel group included doctors, at least one member of the European parliament and several national lawmakers from Turkey, Denmark, France and Belgium.

A passenger list posted on the flotilla’s website also shows two Israeli citizens were on board their largest boat, the Conscience.

The flotilla was carrying some food and medical aid destined for Gaza hospitals.

“Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Organizers said the fleet was intercepted around 120 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. Cameras aboard the vessels, one large passenger ship and eight smaller sailboats, broadcast the interceptions live.

The boats could be seen being approached by fast-moving ships and then boarded by Israeli troops, who then cut off the broadcast. Activists also said an Israeli helicopter flew over them. No injuries were reported.

(AP)