Boats carrying activists and humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza reposition in the port during a symbolic send-off as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, in Barcelona, Spain. AFP
Greek authorities said 31 of about 175 activists were taken to a hospital on Crete, while Turkish officials confirmed roughly 60 were flown to Istanbul on Friday evening.
The flotilla—more than 50 vessels departing from ports in France, Spain, and Italy—was attempting to break Israel’s 19-year naval blockade of the Gaza Strip when it was intercepted overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, about 80 miles west of Crete, by the Israeli occupation army.
Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla saying their equipment had been smashed and that the attack had left them facing a "calculated death trap at sea."
Israel’s foreign ministry said around 175 activists were taken off more than 20 vessels. GSF organizers, in a 2 May statement, put the number higher, at 211.
The GSF stated that Israeli forces boarded at least 21 boats and transferred detainees to an Israeli vessel, NAHSHON, where they were subjected to “physical and verbal violence”. The group said 36 people required hospital treatment after their release.
Activists described being punched, kicked, and dragged while restrained, and in some cases, being fired upon with live and rubber ammunition. Some said they were held for up to 40 hours without food or water.
The GSF also said Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish-Swedish national of Palestinian origin, was tortured after being separated from other detainees aboard an Israeli military vessel. Witnesses cited by organizers said they heard his screams during detention.
Independent US outlet Drop Site separately reported similar accusations.
The group said Abukeshek and Brazilian national Thiago Ávila were not released with other detainees when the vessel reached a port in southern Crete, and were instead transferred onward towards Israel.
Footage aired by TRT showed injured activists with bruising and swelling. Medical officials in Greece reported injuries, including broken ribs, noses, and neck trauma.
According to One Path Network, 60 activists have since gone on hunger strike.
Greek activist groups and politicians, including former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, accused the Greek government of being "complicit or incapable of defending our seas from Israel," citing "direct cooperation" in the interception.
Spain and Brazil condemned the continued detention of the two men, calling it “kidnapping in international waters”, while Turkey described the interception as “an act of terrorism”.
In the United States, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani called the operation “a brazen violation of international law." Washington dismissed the flotilla as a “stunt," that the vessels should be denied port access, docking, departure, and refuelling, and that it was considering “consequences” for those involved.
Several Western governments and parties have also urged Israel to release detained nationals, calling the interceptions a violation of international law.
Israel, which controls all entry points to Gaza, has faced repeated accusations from the United Nations (UN) and humanitarian organisations of strangling the flow of essential goods, medicine, and fuel into the territory, causing massive shortages since the start of its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
The Gaza Strip has been under a complete Israeli naval blockade since 2007.
In the summer and autumn of 2025, the GSF made its first voyage across the Mediterranean towards Gaza, drawing worldwide attention.
Israel intercepted the boats in that flotilla off the coasts of the Gaza Strip in early October.
Israeli occupation forces prevented them from reaching the besieged Palestinian Strip. Activists on board said the ships were boarded in international waters and their aid cargo seized.
Crew members, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were detained before being deported by Israel.
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