Global Sumud Flotilla 121 nautical miles from Gaza, braces for Israeli interception
“Unidentified vessels approached a number of boats in the flotilla, some with their lights off,” the organizers said in a statement
GAZA (MNTV) – The Global Sumud Flotilla, sailing to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, announced Wednesday that its vessels are now around 121 nautical miles (225 kilometers) from the besieged enclave and entering what organizers described as a “high-risk area.”
“Unidentified vessels approached a number of boats in the flotilla, some with their lights off,” the organizers said in a statement on Telegram.
“Participants applied security protocols in preparation for an interception. The vessels have now left the flotilla.”
The statement added: “We continue to sail to Gaza approaching the 120 nautical mile mark, near the area where previous flotillas have been intercepted and/or attacked.”
Flotilla spokesperson Wael Naouar said the risks were escalating as they advanced: “The number of drones over our ships has doubled, and jamming of the internet and radio is greater than usual. We are all prepared for the moment of interception, whether tonight or tomorrow.”
According to an Al Jazeera correspondent aboard, unknown reconnaissance drones were spotted flying at medium altitude above the sailing area in the Mediterranean.
Turkish activist Muhammed Salih, speaking from the boat Adagio, said an Israeli Navy vessel had been detected 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.
“We were already expecting an Israeli interception or attack this evening or tomorrow night. Most likely, it will happen tonight. We are on high alert. Everyone has put on their life jackets and is waiting ready on deck,” he said in a video posted on Instagram.
The flotilla’s organizers issued an urgent appeal for international attention, warning: “Our safety depends on the world watching.”
They stressed that activists and workers worldwide are preparing solidarity actions and demanded safe passage for the vessels.
“An attack on the flotilla is an attack on Palestine,” they declared, urging global supporters to spread the message and stand against the genocide in Gaza.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian supplies and international activists, set sail between late August and early September.
It is the largest such effort in years, with dozens of ships traveling together toward Gaza, home to some 2.4 million Palestinians living under an Israeli blockade for nearly 18 years.
On Tuesday, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that the flotilla had entered Israel’s designated interception zone, with naval forces preparing to seize the ships.
The plan reportedly includes transferring activists to a large warship and towing the vessels to the port of Ashdod, with the possibility that some may sink.
Political directives have ruled out allowing the flotilla to reach Gaza.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children. Months of bombardment have devastated the enclave, pushing it into starvation and disease and rendering it nearly uninhabitable.
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