An Israeli naval boat intercepts the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza, in an attempt to break an Israeli blockade, at sea, May 18, 2026, in this screengrab taken from a handout video. Photo: Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS

The organizers of a flotilla of vessels bound for Gaza in a bid to breach Israel’s blockade said on Monday that Israeli forces had intercepted 39 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, while the remaining ships were continuing to sail toward the enclave.

Earlier on Monday, Israel’s foreign ministry had said on X that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”

Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail for a third time on Thursday from southern Turkey, after earlier attempts to travel to Gaza and, according to organizers, deliver aid were intercepted by Israel in international waters.

Analysts have noted that the amount of aid on the ships is small and limited compared to the truckloads of supplies that Israel has allowed into Gaza. Israel’s foreign ministry said more than 1.58 million metric tons of humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza since October 2025.

Israeli officials have described the flotilla mission as a publicity stunt.

Live video showed military vessels approaching the vessels on Monday.

“Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and [Israeli] forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight,” the Global Sumud Flotilla initially said on X.

“We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission.”

The group said there were 426 people taking part in the 54-vessel flotilla from 39 countries. It named 44 Turks among those on the intercepted vessels, some 250 nautical miles (463 km) from Gaza.

Israel’s foreign ministry also called on “all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately.”

A Turkish activist on board the L’Arq vessel in the flotilla said he does not fear interception by Israeli forces but voiced concern for those already seized, adding the crew on his boat expected interception as soon as they got close to Gaza.

“We don’t know where they are, we don’t know how many of them were actually taken,” Ahmet Soylemez said, speaking aboard the boat. A live tracker on the flotilla‘s website showed L’Arq was around 215 nautical miles from Gaza.

TURKEY SEEKING SAFE RETURN OF NATIONALS

Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned the Israeli intervention as a “new act of piracy,” adding Ankara was taking the necessary steps to ensure the safe return of Turkish citizens on board the flotilla in coordination with other relevant countries.

Speaking in Ankara, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the intervention against the “voyagers of hope” in the flotilla and called on the international community to act against Israel’s actions.

The previous flotilla departed from Spain on April 12. But Israeli forces intercepted vessels in that group, taking more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists to Crete and detaining two others in Israel.

Last October, Israel’s military halted another flotilla assembled by the same organization, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.

Palestinians and international aid bodies, along with Turkey and a number of other countries, say supplies reaching Gaza are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October that included guarantees of increased aid.