The Global Sumud Flotilla – carrying more than 40 civilian boats and about 500 activists – was boarded by Israeli forces, and activists on board were detained and taken to Israel.
Published Oct 02, 2025 | 8:20 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 02, 2025 | 8:20 AM
Activists inside one of the boats intercepted by Israel.
Synopsis: Israeli forces boarded several boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla and took activists on board to an Israeli port. Almost 500 activists, including Greta Thunberg and Progressive International Co-General Coordinator David Adler, on board the Flotilla have been arrested by the Israeli forces. Protests have erupted across the globe condemning the action.
Israeli forces boarded several boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla and took activists on board to an Israeli port on Wednesday, 1 October, local time, disrupting the protest against Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Activists, including Greta Thunberg and Progressive International Co-General Coordinator David Adler, on board the Flotilla have been arrested by the Israeli forces, reported international news agencies.
The Global Sumud Flotilla – carrying more than 40 civilian boats and about 500 activists – was boarded by Israeli forces, and activists on board were detained and taken to Israel.
Following the Israeli interception and the arrest of activists, protests have erupted across the globe condemning the action. Heads of several countries, including Malaysia, Ireland and Turkiye, also condemned the Israeli action. Colombia expelled Israeli diplomats over the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Earlier, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and Colombian President Gustavo Petro demanded that the flotilla be left to proceed unharmed.
Organisers said in an X post that 30 remaining boats in the flotilla are still heading toward Gaza and are within 46 nautical miles of the enclave.
Israel, which has a longstanding blockade on Gaza, began intercepting vessels when the group’s boats reached 70 nautical miles offshore. Reports indicate that 13 vessels have been stopped by the Israeli navy, and the people on board transferred to an Israeli port.
The flotilla says it aims to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel claimed that the volunteers were trying to “breach a lawful naval blockade” – a claim that goes against international law.
People are taking to the streets in protest against Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla in Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Argentina and beyond.
“The global sumud flotilla is being intercepted by the Israeli occupation forces in international waters. Pressure your government for the protection of global sumud flotilla,” said the organisers.
“As I watch Israel’s illegal abduction of the only humans who have risked their lives to break Israel’s unlawful blockade, my thoughts are with the people of Gaza, trapped in Israel’s killing fields. Shame on Western governments first and foremost, and their complicit inaction,” Albanese said in a statement.
BREAKING :
From Italy to Belgium, France to Germany, Greece and beyond — people are taking to the streets right now in protest against Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla.
🇮🇹 🇧🇪 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/X0JtSxXnFd
— sarah (@sahouraxo) October 1, 2025
Global Sumud Flotilla spokesperson Saif Abukeshek has provided a “mission update” in a post on Instagram, confirming that Israeli forces have intercepted 13 boats at sea.
Abukeshek said there were more than 201 people from 37 countries on those boats, including 30 participants from Spain, 22 from Italy, 21 from Turkiye and 12 from Malaysia.
He said the group’s “mission is going on” despite the arrests, and vessels are continuing to sail “through the Mediterranean to break the siege on Gaza”.
“We have around 30 ships that are still fighting their way away from the military vessels of the occupation forces trying to reach to the shores of Gaza. They are determined. They are motivated, and they are doing everything within their hand to be able to break this [siege] by early morning and to arrive together,” he said.
The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail in late August 2025, from ports in Spain and Italy before stopping in Greece and Tunisia as it made its way across the Mediterranean.
The mission began with more than 50 vessels representing around 44 countries, carrying international volunteers, activists, and lawmakers. Among them are 24 Americans, including several military veterans, according to the organisers.
On board were symbolic yet significant amounts of humanitarian cargo, including food, medical supplies, and other essentials for Gaza’s population.
Activists reported several hostile encounters at sea, including suspected drone attacks near Malta and Crete, which left some vessels damaged and forced to withdraw. By the time the flotilla neared the eastern Mediterranean, 44 ships remained in the convoy.
International attention grew as the flotilla pressed on. Spain and Italy both deployed naval vessels to monitor its progress and offer assistance if required, while governments across Europe and beyond urged restraint from all parties.
Israeli naval forces illegally intercepted and boarded the Global Sumud Flotilla vessel Huga. Live communication is cut, and the status of the unarmed humanitarians is unconfirmed. Governments must demand their immediate safety and release. pic.twitter.com/6yv4gbnLiC
— Global Sumud Flotilla Commentary (@GlobalSumudF) October 2, 2025
Meanwhile, terming the Global Sumud Flotilla, the Hamas-Sumud flotilla, Israel claimed that its sole purpose was provocation.
