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Israeli military forces intercepted a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in international waters near Crete, according to organizers and Israeli media. In Greece, the government has been accused of complicity in “piracy and kidnapping.”
“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,” the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission said on Thursday.
INTERCEPTION HAPPENING NOW pic.twitter.com/lwXVnysDV7
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@gbsumudflotilla) April 30, 2026
“Israeli military boats have illegally surrounded the flotilla in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence,” the flotilla said in a post on social media.
“Communication with 11 vessels have been lost and Israeli media claims that 7 boats have been intercepted. Governments must act now to protect the flotilla.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said in a post on social media that the flotilla was “stopped before reaching our area” and that Israeli soldiers were acting with “determination dealing with a group of delusional attention-seeking agitators”.
Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, described Israel’s boarding of its vessels as “a straight-up attack on unarmed civilian boats in international waters”.
More than 50 vessels carrying activists from multiple countries set sail from Italy on Sunday towards the Gaza Strip in what organizers said was the largest humanitarian aid flotilla attempting to reach the war-torn Palestinian territory, where Israel’s war has killed 72,599 people and injured 172,411.
Political parties and human rights organizations are accusing the Greek government of complicity in “piracy and kidnapping” following the Israeli naval intervention against the Global Sumud Flotilla. The incident reportedly took place just 50 nautical miles south of Crete, within Greece’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone.
The March to Gaza Greece initiative issued an urgent update claiming that Greek authorities have feigned ignorance regarding the operation.
“It is obvious they are lying,” the statement read. “The ships are within the Greek SAR zone, the same area where they were targeted by drones last summer. We demand the Greek government, the Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs ensure the safe passage of our fleet and prevent further aggression.”
Yanis Varoufakis, Secretary of MeRA25, leveled sharp criticism at the administration: “The Greek government is either complicit or utterly incapable of defending our waters and the Law of the Sea against Israeli incursions.”
