Israel says Gaza-bound ‘Global Sumud Flotialla’ fails to breach naval blockade

Tel Aviv: The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Thursday announced that none of the vessels of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla have succeeded in entering an active combat zone or managed to breach Israel’s lawful naval blockade.

Reiterating the flotilla’s alleged link to Hamas, the Ministry in a post on X said, “The Hamas-Sumud provocation is over. None of the Hamas-Sumud provocation yachts has succeeded in its attempt to enter an active combat zone or breach the lawful naval blockade”.

The Ministry confirmed that all the passengers are safe and in good health. It added they are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe.

“One last vessel of this provocation remains at a distance. If it approaches, its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented,” the Ministry stated.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising about 50 civilian vessels and participants from over 40 countries, aims to challenge Israel’s naval blockade imposed since 2007 and deliver food and medical aid to Palestinians.

Sharing videos on its social media platform, earlier in the day, the Ministry said that several vessels of the “Hamas-Sumud flotilla” have been safely stopped and their passengers, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and her friends, are being transferred to an Israeli port, and are safe and healthy.

According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the sole purpose of the “Hamas-Sumud flotilla” is provocation. It added that Israel, Italy, Greece, and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem have offered and continue to offer the flotilla a way to deliver any aid they might have to Gaza peacefully, but the flotilla refused because they are not interested in aid but in provocation.

“The Israeli Navy has reached out to the Hamas-Sumud flotilla and asked them to change course. Israel has informed the flotilla that it is approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade. Israel reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza,” the Ministry stated.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry claimed that the official Hamas documents recovered in the Gaza Strip revealed the terror group’s direct involvement in the funding and execution of the ‘Sumud’ flotilla bound for Gaza.

The Ministry released part of the Hamas documents along with translations and images showing some of the flotilla’s organisers alongside senior Hamas leaders.