‘Israel’ raids Gaza-bound aid flotilla sailing from Turkey

‘Israeli’ forces raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Monday after it sailed from Turkey last week, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denouncing the mission as a "malicious scheme" intended to support Hamas.

The Global Sumud Flotilla vessels are the latest in a string of attempts by activists to breach ‘Israel's’ blockade of the Palestinian territory, with the last convoy intercepted by ‘Israeli’ forces last month.

"Global Sumud Flotilla is under attack!" the group wrote on X.

"The Israeli occupation has again illegally and violently intercepted our international fleet of humanitarian vessels and abducted our volunteers."

"We are outraged by the normalisation of these violations of international maritime law and the kidnapping of peaceful civilians in international waters," it said, demanding the swift release of the activists and the end of the blockade of Gaza.

A website tracking the flotilla's location showed several vessels being intercepted west of Cyprus.

Netanyahu condemned the latest attempt to deliver aid to Gaza by sea.

He told the commander of the interception force, "I believe you are doing an extraordinary job... thwarting a malicious scheme designed to break the blockade we have imposed on Hamas terrorists in Gaza," according to a statement from his office.

"You are carrying this out with outstanding success... and certainly with far less fanfare than our enemies had anticipated," Netanyahu said.

Earlier on Monday, the ‘Israeli’ foreign ministry denounced the convoy as a provocation and vowed to prevent it from reaching Gaza.

"This time, two violent Turkish groups -- Mavi Marmara and IHH, the latter designated as a terrorist organisation -- are part of the provocation," it said on X.

“State terrorism”

Hamas political bureau member, Bassem Naim, condemned the interception, describing it as "state terrorism and systematic undermining of the entire international order".

Around 50 ships had departed from southwestern Turkey on Thursday.

Ankara slammed the interception, saying it was a "new act of piracy" by ‘Israel’.

Ties between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated since the war on Gaza erupted.

Activist Gorkem Duru, a member of the Turkey branch of the Global Sumud Flotilla group, who is not on board, told AFP that "communication links with the ships were cut off".

Activist Suayb Ordu, who was aboard one of the vessels, told Turkish channel NTV that the activists had "no choice but to raise our hands and surrender peacefully without offering any resistance".

"We are not going there to fight or commit acts of violence; we are trying to prove the opposite to the world."

Indonesian newspaper Republika said nine Indonesians were part of the detained group, including two of its journalists.

"This action is a serious violation of international law, the universal principles of humanity, and the civil liberties of global citizens carrying aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza," the paper's editor-in-chief Andi Muhyiddin said in a video statement.

The ‘Israeli’ foreign ministry said the flotilla served the purposes of Palestinian movement Hamas.

Its aim was to "serve Hamas, to divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm, and to obstruct progress on President Trump's peace plan," the ministry said.

Under a Gaza ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which took effect in October, the territory is to be fully demilitarised, including through the disarmament of Hamas.