Activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have been detained at an Israeli port after their vessels were intercepted by Israeli naval forces, according to organisers and an Israeli rights group.
The flotilla, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza, was stopped during its renewed voyage after earlier attempts were also intercepted in international waters. Video footage from Tuesday showed Israeli forces firing what they described as warning shots at at least two of the vessels as they moved in the eastern Mediterranean.
The organisers said the mission was aimed at breaking Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and delivering urgently needed aid to civilians in the territory, where humanitarian conditions remain dire despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in place since October 2025. Aid agencies continue to warn that supplies remain insufficient for the enclave’s population of more than two million people.
According to Israeli authorities, all 430 activists aboard the flotilla’s 50 vessels, drawn from about 40 countries, were transferred onto Israeli naval ships. Officials said the detainees would be granted access to consular representatives upon arrival in Israel. Israel’s foreign ministry maintained that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
An Israeli rights group, Adalah, said the activists were being held at Ashdod port before being moved to Ketziot prison in southern Israel. It added that legal teams would only be able to meet the detainees after their transfer.
Several governments have begun responding to the detentions. Italy’s foreign ministry said its citizens, including a member of parliament and a journalist, were among those held and were expected to undergo identification procedures before being allowed to depart. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also criticised the operation, questioning its legal basis and calling the detention of foreign nationals “excessive and inhumane.”
Organisers of the flotilla said participants came from around 40 countries aboard roughly 50 vessels, underscoring the international nature of the mission. Past flotilla attempts to reach Gaza have similarly been intercepted by Israeli forces, with activists typically deported after detention.
The latest confrontation comes amid continued tensions over access to Gaza, where large portions of the population have been displaced and are living in damaged infrastructure and temporary shelters. Israel, which controls entry points into the territory, maintains it is not restricting humanitarian supplies, despite ongoing disputes with aid organisations over delivery access.
Melissa Enoch
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