Israel’s navy on Friday night began to intercept the large flotilla attempting to break its maritime blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, after the military issued a final warning for the pro-Palestinian fleet to change course.
The Israeli Navy operation, which came as the country marked Yom Kippur, continued overnight and into Saturday morning.
Troops had boarded at least six of the 47 ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla by midnight, detaining the activists aboard after jamming their signals.
One of the first boats to be boarded was carrying Greta Thunberg, with the Foreign Ministry sharing a video of an Israeli soldier handing her belongings to her after she was detained.
“Already several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port. Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” the ministry said.
The flotilla — which departed from Spain a month ago — is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid for Gaza and over 500 people, according to the organizers, some of whom Israel has accused of having ties to Hamas.
