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Israeli naval forces intercepted all nine vessels of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla early Wednesday in international waters roughly 120 nautical miles from the enclave, according to organizers.
The Israeli military attacked ships belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's "Thousand Madleens to Gaza" mission at 4:34 a.m., approximately 220 kilometers off the Gaza coast, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza said on X.
Livestreams from the coalition's YouTube channel showed Israeli soldiers boarding the Gaza Sunbird before connections were severed.
Video footage captured the moment of the attack and an apparent attempt to strike cameras, the committee said.
Within one hour, all nine boats were intercepted, according to a press release from the campaign.
The vessels included Abd Elkarim Eid, Alaa Al-Najar, Anas Al-Sharif, Gaza Sunbird, Leila Khaled, Milad, Soul of My Soul, Um Saad, and Conscience.
Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed the interception on X, stating the vessels and activists were transferred to an Israeli port.
"All the passengers are safe and in good health. The passengers are expected to be deported promptly," the ministry said.
The flotilla carried aid worth over $110,000 in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies destined for Gaza's hospitals, according to the coalition.
"The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters. Our flotilla poses no harm," the coalition said on Instagram.
Live broadcasts from the flagship vessel Conscience showed Israeli naval boats surrounding the flotilla.
Spokesperson Kasim Aktag said during the livestream, "Ships have surrounded us, soldiers are approaching to board, never forget us, keep us on the agenda, let's maintain our unity."
Participants were seen wearing life vests and throwing phones into the sea as Israeli forces approached, according to footage from the broadcasts.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, established in 2010, has launched dozens of missions aimed at delivering aid and drawing global attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The interception follows last week's seizure of over 40 boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which carried over 450 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Most of those detained have been deported.
That action sparked mass protests across Europe last weekend, with hundreds of thousands joining pro-Palestinian demonstrations calling for an immediate end to the war and the release of detained activists.
Hamas condemned last week's interception as "a crime of piracy and maritime terrorism."
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years.
The siege tightened in March when Israel closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine, according to the United Nations.
Israeli bombardments have killed over 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, most of them women and children, according to local health authorities.
The data does not distinguish between civilians, but much reliable data indicates that over half of the dead are women and children.
Negotiations to end the war, according to a 20-point plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump, are underway in Egypt.
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