Israeli Command Forces Seized Global Sumud Flotilla Ship, PM Netanyahu: Extraordinary Work

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Israeli Navy's move to intercept the ships of the Global North Sumut Flotilla on Monday.

Around 50 ships of various sizes berthed and left the port of Marmaris, Turkey, last Thursday.

Quoted from The Times of Israel, the Israeli Navy commando forces boarded the first ship in the humanitarian convoy off the coast of Cyprus.

As of Monday afternoon, 16 ships were reported to have been intercepted, launching The Times of Israel (18/5).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the interception, while visiting the Israeli Navy's operational headquarters in Kirya, Tel Aviv, accompanied by Israeli Defense Minister Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and received a briefing from the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Eyal Harel, according to Netanyahu's office.

Netanyahu told the commander of the Israeli Navy, which intercepted the fleet, that they managed to stop the ships with much less noise than the organizers had planned.

"You are doing a tremendous job, both in the first fleet and in this part, and effectively thwarting the evil plans aimed at breaking the isolation we have imposed on the Hamas terrorists in Gaza," he told the commander of the Navy Missile Ship Fleet, the main force of the Navy in surface warfare, via a naval radio.

"You're doing this very successfully, and I must say also, calmly, and certainly with less publicity than our enemies expected," he added.

Previously, Israel warned "these provocative participants to change course and immediately turn back."

"Once again, provocation for the sake of provocation: a humanitarian aid fleet that is said to be without humanitarian aid," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on X. The Israeli military declined to comment on the ongoing operation.

Israel had previously dismissed the flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amounts of symbolic aid they brought to Israel or international organizations to be taken to the Gaza Strip and distributed through official channels.

The Global Sumud Fleet this time is the third initiative in a year aimed at breaking Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has suffered from shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel since the latest conflict broke out on October 7.

Israeli forces intercepted the second flotilla in international waters off the coast of Greece on April 30 and sent most of the 175 activists to Europe, but arrested two of them, who were held for 10 days before being deported.

Last month's Israeli interception incident sparked protests and condemnation from several countries and raised questions about what a country can legally do to enforce a blockade in international waters.

Israeli officials said they had to act early because of the number of ships involved.

Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving about 50 ships and about 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, and several European parliamentarians.

Israel arrested, detained, and then deported the participants, who claimed that Israeli authorities had persecuted them. Israeli authorities denied the allegations.

Previous attempts to break through the blockade have also failed. The last time an activist ship managed to reach the Gaza Strip was in 2008.