Israel’s navy intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla of nearly 40 vessels on Thursday, detaining dozens of international activists—including Greta Thunberg—and diverting the ships to Israeli ports for processing.
Naval forces boarded the convoy in international waters, according to officials, and transferred those aboard to Ashdod while preparing for their deportation to Europe. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the detainees were in “good health.”
The interception stirred immediate global backlash. Supporters of the flotilla condemned the move as an assault on humanitarian efforts and free passage, while Israel defended it as essential to enforcing its naval blockade and preventing efforts to breach a declared “active combat zone.”