Israel Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla with Greta Thunberg

Israeli forces have intercepted 13 ships carrying foreign activists and loaded with aid for Gaza, but another 30 ships continue on their way to the war-torn Palestinian enclave. The flotilla's organizers reported this on Thursday.

A video released by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and verified by Reuters shows one of the flotilla's most prominent passengers, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, sitting on the deck surrounded by soldiers.

The flotilla, named "Global Sumud" (Steadfastness), which consists of more than 40 civilian ships with about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists, is transporting medicine and food to Gaza.

"Numerous ships... have been illegally detained and boarded by Israeli occupation forces in international waters," the organizers' statement said. According to them, at the time of the incident, the ships were about 70 nautical miles from the war-torn enclave, in the zone that Israel controls to prevent any ship from approaching.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated on the X social platform: "Several ships of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely intercepted, and their passengers are being transported to an Israeli port." The ministry added: "Greta and her friends are safe and sound."

These actions have caused widespread discontent in the international community. Colombian President Gustavo Petro immediately canceled a free trade agreement with Israel and ordered the entire Israeli diplomatic mission to leave Bogota.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris wrote on X: "Today's reports are deeply concerning. This is a peaceful mission to shed light on a terrible humanitarian disaster." Harris expects Israel to respect international law. Among those arrested are at least seven Irish citizens, including Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews.

The organizers, despite the incident, remain steadfast, stating that the flotilla "will continue its course uninterrupted." According to them, another 30 ships are continuing on their way to Gaza and are 46 nautical miles from their destination. The flotilla had hoped to reach Gaza on Thursday morning if it had not been stopped.

The flotilla's mission has become one of the most high-profile challenges to the Gaza blockade in recent years. The activists and supplies aim to highlight the humanitarian suffering in the war-torn area.

Let us recall that the situation in Gaza remains dire. International aid agencies are trying to deliver food and medicine to the Palestinian territory but note that Israel is restricting the flow of supplies. Israel insists that it is trying to prevent these items from falling into the hands of Hamas.

A UN-backed group last month confirmed that there is famine in Gaza, and the UN's humanitarian chief stated that this is a direct result of Israel's "systematic obstruction" of aid entering the territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called this a "blatant lie."

In Gaza, Israel is intensifying its attack on Gaza City, while Hamas is weighing its response to the new US plan to end the war. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has issued a final warning to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the city to evacuate to the south, saying that those who remain during the attack on Hamas will be considered "terrorists and supporters of terrorism."