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The Israeli military is preparing to intercept the Global Sumud Fleet, a civilian flotilla carrying 426 participants aboard 54 vessels that departed the waters off Antalya, Türkiye, bound for Gaza with humanitarian aid. Israeli media reports indicate that naval forces, including elite commando units, have already deployed to sea in anticipation of an intervention in the hours ahead.
The flotilla, which organizers say has reached international waters, is the latest mission by the Global Sumud Fleet to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, now in its second decade.
Fleet officials confirmed the development to reporters, noting that unidentified drone activity and military movement had been detected in the vicinity of the convoy.
According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the naval deployment includes missile boats, Super Dvora-class patrol vessels, craft belonging to the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, and at least one landing ship.
The precise location where Israel plans to intercept the flotilla has not been disclosed, but preparations for an operation within hours were said to be underway.
An unnamed Israeli military official quoted by Yedioth Ahronot warned that soldiers could use "cold weapons" during any intervention against the fleet, a phrase that refers to non-firearm instruments of force such as batons and stun grenades, a detail that raised alarm among flotilla organizers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security cabinet meeting Sunday evening to discuss the approaching convoy, which is expected to reach Gaza's coastline within 48 hours. An Israeli political official said Netanyahu was scheduled to hold a further security meeting on the matter Monday.
Among those aboard the current flotilla are Sayf Abu Kish and Thiago Avila, two activists who were reportedly detained by Israeli forces during a prior Sumud mission, the 2026 Spring Mission, and forcibly brought to Israel after being held rather than released.
Their participation in the renewed voyage underscores the determination of flotilla organizers to continue pressure on Israel's naval blockade despite the personal risks involved.
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The current mission follows two earlier confrontations. On the night of April 29, Israeli forces boarded and intercepted vessels from the Global Sumud Fleet 2026 Spring Mission in international waters off the island of Crete, detaining 177 activists who were approximately 600 nautical miles from Gaza and only a few miles beyond Greek territorial waters. Flotilla organizers described the operation as unlawful and said those detained were subjected to mistreatment.
In August 2025, Israeli forces conducted a similar operation against a larger Sumud convoy, comprising more than 40 vessels carrying some 500 activists from over 44 countries, as that flotilla also attempted to reach Gaza.
The Global Sumud Fleet draws its name from the Arabic word for steadfastness or perseverance, a concept with deep resonance in Palestinian political culture. Freedom flotilla efforts to break the Gaza blockade date back to the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, in which Israeli commandos stormed a vessel in international waters, killing ten activists, an episode that prompted international condemnation and a subsequent United Nations inquiry.
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