The Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Sicily last week with a cargo of relief supplies "to break Israel's blockade on Gaza."
"We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast," German human rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP earlier on Saturday.
"We are all good," she added.
The boat's 12 passengers include nationals of Germany, France, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The ship's crew reported a series of drone sightings during the voyage.
According to a video posted by the coalition on its social media platforms, a Hellenic Coast Guard Heron drone flew over the Madleen on Tuesday evening.
Hours later, two other drones—believed to be operated by the EU border agency Frontex—approached the vessel.
Another drone visited in the early hours of Thursday.
Activists said the crew remains safe but believes the drone surveillance was intended to intimidate.
"We are fully aware of the potential consequences," Acar said.
She added that the Madleen is sailing under a UK flag and approaching Gaza's territorial waters, which she described as "occupied by Israel".
"If Israel attacks us, it would be yet another war crime."
"We would not be on this mission if we did not believe we could reach Gaza."
Acar did not disclose when or where the vessel is expected to attempt entry into the territory.
In a statement from London on Saturday, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza -- a member organisation of the flotilla coalition -- said the ship had entered Egyptian waters.
The group said it remains in contact with international legal and human rights bodies to ensure the safety of those on board, warning that any interception would constitute "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law".
European parliament member Rima Hassan, who is on board the vessel, urged governments to "guarantee safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla."
She also said more than 200 European lawmakers have signed an open letter to Israel calling for the Madleen to be allowed to reach Gaza and for the "immediate entry of its humanitarian cargo".
In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International described the voyage as an "important solidarity initiative". It said there was "no justification" for obstructing humanitarian aid amid what it called "one of the worst manmade humanitarian disasters in the world".
Launched in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a coalition of groups opposed to the blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza that Israel imposed on 2 March and left more than two million Palestinians on the verge of starvation.
Alongside the flotilla, the Global March to Gaza—another international initiative aiming to draw attention to the blockade—is preparing a coordinated campaign.
The two groups have formed a joint committee to synchronize their efforts.
The Global March to Gaza plans to gather in Cairo on 12 June and travel by bus a day later to Al-Arish, near Egypt's border with Gaza.
From there, over 2,700 participants from more than 50 countries will walk on foot to the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, camping there for a few days before returning to Cairo on 19 June, organisers told AFP.
Israel has faced mounting international condemnation over the resulting humanitarian crisis in the territory, where the United Nations has warned that the entire population of more than two million is at risk of famine.
The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli naval blockade since 2007, long before the outbreak of Israel’s devastating war on Gaza in October 2023.
The blockade, coupled with repeated military incursions over the years, has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and economy, exacerbating poverty and limiting access to basic services like healthcare and clean water.
In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 civilians during a raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of a similar aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade.
In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported coming under drone attack while en route to Gaza, prompting Cyprus and Malta to send rescue vessels in response to its distress call. There were no reports of any casualties.
Earlier in its voyage, the Madleen changed course near the Greek island of Crete after receiving a distress signal from a sinking migrant boat.
Activists rescued four Sudanese migrants who had jumped into the sea to avoid being returned to Libya. The four were later transferred to an EU Frontex vessel.
Israel has faced mounting international condemnation over the resulting humanitarian crisis in the territory, where the United Nations has warned that the entire population of more than two million is at risk of famine.
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