Israel’s foreign ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 boats.

The flotilla was the latest attempt by pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, with organisers putting the number of detained at 211, including a Paris city councillor.

“In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X, thanking Greece “for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants”.

Helene Coron, a spokeswoman for the Global Sumud France, had earlier told an online news conference that the interception operation took place near the Greek island of Crete, at an “unprecedented” distance from the Gaza coast.

Yasmine Scola, an activist on board the flotilla, said her colleagues had been “kidnapped” by Israel.

Paris announced that 15 French nationals had been detained and Rome called for the immediate release of “all the unlawfully detained Italians” -- numbering 24 according to the Italian news agency Ansa.

Coron said those intercepted included Paris Communist local councillor Raphaelle Primet.

Rome and Berlin said in a joint statement that they were following developments “with deep concern”, while Madrid blasted the seizure and said it had summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires in Spain.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused Israel of “once again violating international law by attacking a civilian flotilla in waters that do not belong to it”, urging the EU to freeze bilateral ties.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, called the interception a “total success”, and described participants as “Hamas supporters”.

Boats still en route

In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention.

The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and then expelled by Israel.

The organisers of the latest flotilla announced early on Thursday that their boats had been surrounded by Israeli military ships while off the coast of Crete.

“Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,” said the Global Sumud Flotilla.

AFP verified, based on tracking data from the organisers, that the boats were intercepted in the Greek exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Around 30 boats from the flotilla are still en route, most now in Greek territorial waters south of Crete, according to the same source.

Coron said the operation had taken place more than 1,000 kilometres from the Gaza Strip. The next furthest such operation to date had been 185 kilometres away in June 2025, she said.

Israel’s foreign ministry said “condoms and drugs” were found on the boats and published a video of activists “enjoying themselves” doing cartwheels aboard an Israeli vessel.

Activist Scola said her ship had been carrying school supplies and food.

The flotilla comprising more than 50 vessels set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy.

‘Brazen interception’

“Due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade, an early action was required in accordance with international law,” Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said.

But Amnesty International condemned the “brazen interception”.

“The Israeli navy crossing hundreds of miles at sea just to ensure civilian boats carrying food, baby formula, and medical supplies don’t make it to Palestinians reveals the lengths Israel is prepared to go to in order to maintain its cruel and unlawful 19-year-long blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip,” Amnesty’s Erika Guevara Rosas, said in a statement.

Israel controls all entry points to Gaza. It has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing shortages since the start of the war in October 2023.

The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

The war triggered by the Palestinian movement’s attack on Israel has led to severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.

A fragile ceasefire was reached last October after two years of devastating conflict.

Source: AFP

--Agencies