Israel Intercepts Gaza-Bound Flotilla, Detains Two Activists

Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off the coast of Greece on Thursday, detaining two activists for questioning in Israel over suspected links to a U.S.-sanctioned organization affiliated with Hamas. The flotilla, comprising more than 50 vessels that departed from ports in France, Spain, and Italy, sought to deliver supplies to Gaza and challenge the Israeli blockade in place since 2007.

According to organizers, the interception took place over 1,000 kilometers from Gaza, with 211 people aboard the vessels.

Israel's Foreign Ministry stated that the two detainees, Saif Abukeshek, a dual Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin, and Thiago Ávila from Brazil, were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA). The U.S. Treasury Department designated the PCPA in 2024 as "clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas," according to its official sanctions announcement.

" Both were granted consular visits, the ministry added.

The detainees appeared before an Israeli court on Friday, according to reports from France 24 and The Guardian. Israel released 175 other activists from the flotilla, with dozens transferred to the Greek coast guard and disembarked on the island of Crete, as observed by an AFP journalist.

No publicly released evidence from Israeli authorities has detailed the specific links between the detainees and Hamas beyond the PCPA affiliation.

The legal aid group Adalah reported that Abukeshek and Ávila launched a hunger strike while continuing to drink water during their detention at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon. Adalah lawyers visited the pair and documented their accounts: Ávila stated he was "dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice" during the seizure, then kept in isolation and blindfolded upon arrival in Israel.