Israel intercepts Gaza‑bound flotilla, thanks Greece for cooperation

International, Middle East

INTERNATIONAL (NPA) — The Israeli Government has announced that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) successfully blocked what it described as attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza, preventing the arrival of vessels from the latest flotilla, including one intercepted last night.

Officials clarified that all participants removed from the vessels were taken off unharmed. In coordination with the Greek Government, Israel confirmed that those transferred from the flotilla will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours. Israel expressed gratitude to Greece for its cooperation and urged groups interested in humanitarian aid to Gaza to channel assistance through the Gaza Board of Peace (BOP)—an international body overseeing post‑war governance, reconstruction, and humanitarian coordination.

The government noted that the BOP also issued a statement supporting Israel’s action, warning that breaches of the lawful naval blockade will not be permitted.

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The latest flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, was intercepted near the Greek island of Crete in the eastern Mediterranean. Several vessels had departed from European ports including Marseille (France), Barcelona (Spain), and Syracuse (Italy), before converging en route to Gaza in an attempt to break the blockade.