A new flotilla heading for the Gaza Strip with food and medical supplies on board has been intercepted by Israeli forces.
The fleet, made up of nine vessels and 150 people, was stopped in international waters, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza which are jointly running the operation.
Another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone ended in nothing, Israel's foreign ministry stated.
Last week, Israel's military stopped a 42-boat aid convoy with 479 pro-Palestinian activists on board. Most of them, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were detained and later deported, while 138 remain in detention.
Organisers of the new attempt initially indicated that three boats were intercepted early Wednesday morning, 120 nautical miles off Gaza's coast. However, within hours, all nine boats were reported stopped. The Israeli government clarified that all passengers are safe but will be deported promptly.
The 150 passengers come from various countries, with Turkey condemning the intervention as a grave violation of international law. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has launched extensive operations in Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in significant casualties on both sides.
Since the outbreak of hostilities, Gaza's health ministry reports that 67,160 have died from Israeli attacks, alongside an increasing number of civilians affected by malnutrition-related issues.
The humanitarian situation continues to worsen, with warnings of famine conditions emerging, as aid access remains heavily restricted by the Israeli blockade.
