Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza Flotilla Boat 82 Miles Offshore

The screen then went dark with a message saying the boat had been intercepted.

The Global Sumud Flotilla says commandos have intercepted more than 40 boats trying to breach the Gaza maritime blockade since Tuesday. A handful of ships were still within 100 nautical miles of Gaza and sailing toward it as of Tuesday afternoon. The Israeli navy’s new action resumed a day after the Israeli navy interdicted the activist flotilla in international waters off Cyprus.

Dozens of vessels departed from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what flotilla organizers described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza’s shores. Some 41 boats were intercepted on Monday with another 10 continuing to sail before the Andros interception, according to Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker.

Israeli forces board Gaza-bound flotilla near Cyprus, activists say. Pro-Palestinian activists say Israeli forces have intercepted a flotilla of more than 50 boats carrying aid for Gaza in international waters west of Cyprus. The Global Sumud Flotilla said on Tuesday that its fleet was boarded in what it called "another illegal, high-seas aggression" about 250 nautical miles from Gaza, which is under an Israeli maritime blockade.

" — Global Sumud Flotilla organizers, Tuesday (BBC News) Israeli media had cited the Israeli military as saying on Monday night that it had intercepted at least 39 boats and detained hundreds of activists, who were expected to be brought to the Israeli port of Ashdod and then deported.

Conditions in Gaza The flotilla's remaining boats then sailed to the Turkish port of Marmaris, where 54 boats departed last Thursday and headed south-east towards Gaza. More than 460 activists from 45 countries were said to be taking part. The GSF said the activists on board were carrying food, baby formula and medical aid for Palestinians in Gaza, where living conditions are dire and most of the 2.1 million population is displaced, despite the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas last October.

The Israeli foreign ministry described Gaza as "flooded with aid", saying more than 1.5 million tonnes of aid and thousands of tonnes of medical supplies had entered the territory over the past seven months. The UN said last week that many displaced families in Gaza were still forced to shelter in overcrowded tents or severely damaged structures due to the absence of safer alternatives.

Access to basic services remained limited, with inconsistent availability of clean water and impaired waste management systems that could not meaningfully address public health concerns, including those linked to pests and rodents, it added.