An international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza has entered a zone long associated with Israeli interceptions of ships attempting to challenge the blockade of the enclave.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which includes 50 vessels and more than 500 activists from 40 different countries, is transporting vital medical and relief supplies.
Organisers describe it as the largest aid mission ever to set sail for Gaza.
The approach of the convoy has coincided with sightings of unidentified military aircraft flying overhead.
Israel’s state broadcaster KAN has reported that naval forces are preparing to intercept the ships and tow them to Ashdod port.
Activists aboard the vessel Spectre, which carries 22 participants, reiterated their commitment to nonviolent resistance in the event of an interception.
They have pledged to file immediate legal complaints with the International Criminal Court and, if detained, begin hunger strikes.
Kuwaiti businessman Abdullah Mubarak Al-Mutawa said their sole focus was humanitarian: “We are not here for confrontation. We aim to deliver aid safely to Gaza.”
Legal representatives travelling with the flotilla have confirmed that contingency plans are in place for various scenarios, including drone strikes and commando raids.
Frank Romano, a lawyer advocating for Palestinian cases at the ICC, stressed that participants had been trained in first aid, legal rights, and protocols for nonviolent resistance.
Other activists echoed the same message. Australian campaigner Abu Bakr Rivek described any potential interception as “an act of kidnapping under international law,” while French human rights advocate Bruno Moussouzi emphasised strict adherence to nonviolence and rejection of any form of provocation.
The mission has already received limited aerial and naval support from Spain, Italy, and Türkiye, with organisers insisting their actions are entirely legal and humanitarian in nature.
However, Israel has made clear that it will not permit the flotilla to reach Gaza, which has been under a crippling blockade for 18 years.
The flotilla comes at a time of catastrophic conditions inside Gaza. Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Food, medicine, and aid have been blocked from entering the territory, leading to widespread starvation and the spread of disease.
For activists on board, the voyage is as much about opening a humanitarian corridor as it is about delivering immediate aid. “We carry no weapons, only hope,” said one participant.
“The world must decide whether to allow relief to reach people facing mass death.”
