Israeli navy halts Gaza flotilla near Crete, trackers show 15 vessels disrupted
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Tel Aviv: Israeli naval forces intercepted vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla in the central Mediterranean early Thursday, organisers reported, as the civilian aid convoy aimed to breach Gaza's blockade.
The largest such mission to date, comprising around 57-100 vessels that departed Barcelona on April 12, was disrupted west of Crete—some 630-660 nautical miles from Gaza. Tracker data indicates at least 15 boats affected, including Al Faluja, Ayn al-Zaytoun, Beit Lahim, Jabalia, Kafr Birim, Safsaf, Yazur, Tantura, Yaffa, Haifa, Idna, Iqrit, Safad, Al Bassa, and Nasir al-Din.
Organisers described military speedboats approaching with lasers and rifles, ordering passengers forward amid drone activity and comms jamming; an SOS was issued before contact was lost. Social media footage shows Israeli warnings threatening force for non-compliance.
The fastest remaining vessel, Balad al-Sheik (Girolama), was logged at 8.3 knots, 615 nautical miles from Gaza. Israeli officials confirmed enforcing the naval blockade far from shore.
This echoes an October 2025 interception of some 40 vessels, where activists were detained and deported.