Israeli forces attacked the Freedom Flotilla 220 kilometers off Gaza’s coast, detaining activists and journalists from multiple countries.
The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza announced on Wednesday morning that the Freedom Flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip had been attacked by Israeli forces.
The flotilla, comprising ten vessels, departed from the Italian island of Sicily on September 25, carrying dozens of activists, including parliamentarians, doctors, and journalists from around the world. Despite numerous objections, organizers insisted on continuing their mission to reach the besieged enclave.
In a statement posted on the X platform, the Committee said, “The Israeli army attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters, 120 nautical miles (220 kilometers) from Gaza.”
A follow-up post confirmed that three ships — the Gaza Sunbirds, the Alaa al-Najjar, and the Anas al-Sharif — were “unlawfully attacked and intercepted by the Israeli military at 4:34 AM, 220 kilometers off Gaza’s coast.”
🆘The Conscience Boat and Thousand Madleens to Gaza — part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition — have just been intercepted!
Please share! Please keep your eyes on the Flotilla! pic.twitter.com/6AR1a5djoE
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumud) October 8, 2025
The Committee also shared live footage showing Israeli soldiers boarding several ships, arresting participants, and attempting to destroy surveillance cameras by firing at them.
According to the Committee, the ship Al-Damir, which was carrying 93 journalists, doctors, and activists, was also attacked by an Israeli military helicopter.
The passengers on board had been attempting to reach their colleagues from the Freedom Flotilla following an Israeli naval assault on the group the previous Wednesday.
Last May, the Conscience ship was bombed by Israel off the coast of Malta.
In its response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry described the incident as “another failed attempt to breach the naval blockade that ended in vain,” claiming that the flotilla made a “futile attempt” to “penetrate a combat zone.”
It further stated that the ships and passengers were “safe,” had been taken to an Israeli port, and would soon be deported.
🆘The 'Conscience' volunteers have been attacked and likely abducted by Israel while in international waters on their way to open a sea corridor to Gaza.
These are the volunteers from Norway.
The flotilla was sailing in accordance with international law, outside Israeli… pic.twitter.com/hoEZ8QS2HR
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumud) October 8, 2025
International Reactions
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim strongly condemned the Israeli military’s interception of the flotilla, calling for the immediate release of Malaysian participants.
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he was monitoring the situation through Italy’s embassy in Tel Aviv after reports that about ten Italians had been detained. He urged the Israeli government to “ensure their individual rights are respected until their deportation.”
The attack on the Freedom Flotilla occurred exactly one week after Israel intercepted 42 ships belonging to the Global Steadfastness Flotilla, some of which had reached as close as 19 nautical miles from Gaza.
Hundreds of activists were detained, with several later reporting torture and ill-treatment before being released.
Both the Freedom Flotilla and the Global Steadfastness Flotilla represent renewed international efforts to challenge Israel’s ongoing naval blockade of the Gaza Strip — a territory subjected to a genocidal campaign by the Israeli occupation forces that has left over 67,000 Palestinians dead, tens of thousands wounded, and nearly all of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed, amid an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
(PC, AJA)
