The Turkish committee of the Global Freedom Flotilla announced that Israeli naval forces arrested 25 Turkish activists from flotilla ships after seizing them illegally.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement issued early Thursday, the committee said the civilian and peaceful flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, was subjected to an “illegal raid” by Israeli forces in international waters.
The Israeli navy reportedly boarded 15 ships from the flotilla and detained 25 Turkish activists from vessels including Sirius, Alma, Spectre, Hugh I, Deir Yassin I, and Grande Blue.
The statement condemned Israel’s actions as a serious violation of international law and maritime security, emphasizing that the flotilla’s mission was entirely humanitarian. It called for the immediate release of the detained activists.
On Wednesday evening, the flotilla announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it had been attacked by around 10 Israeli ships. The flotilla described the interception of its vessels in international waters as a war crime and issued a distress call.
The International Committee for Breaking the Gaza Siege confirmed that Israeli naval forces had boarded some flotilla ships. International organizations, including Amnesty International, called for the protection of the flotilla, while the United Nations condemned any attacks against it as unacceptable.
This marks the first time dozens of ships have sailed together toward Gaza in a collective attempt to break the 18-year Israeli blockade, which has left nearly 1.5 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents homeless after Israel’s military operations destroyed many homes. Since March 2, 2025, Israel has kept Gaza’s crossings closed, allowing only a very limited number of humanitarian trucks, leading the UN to warn of a rapidly worsening famine.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with US support, has carried out actions described as genocide in Gaza, resulting in 66,148 deaths and 168,716 injuries, mostly women and children, with famine claiming the lives of 455 Palestinians, including 151 children.
