The Israeli military has taken action to intercept aid ships traveling under the Global Samidoun Flotilla in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
The raid used drones, communication jamming technology, and armed personnel, with organizers and Israeli media reporting that the aid fleet was surrounded during the operation.
According to the Flotilla mission, Israeli high-speed military boats approached, introducing themselves as Israel, targeting with lasers and semi-automatic weapons, and ordering participants to come to the front of the ships, raise their hands, and kneel.
The Flotilla's social media statement said that Israeli military boats illegally blockaded and threatened abduction and violence in international waters, while contact was lost with 11 ships.
According to Israeli media, 7 out of 58 ships were taken into custody near the Greek island of Crete.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, claimed that the flotilla was stopped before reaching our territory and that the military is acting decisively.
Global Samidoun Flotilla spokesperson, Gur Tsbar, described the operation as an open attack on unarmed civilian ships in international waters.
According to a report, activist Tariq Rauf on board the flotilla said that small military boats were lowered from large Israeli warships, which surrounded the fleet, while drones provided continuous surveillance, shining lights and broadcasting messages via radio that the flotilla was violating international law.
He said that the Israeli military jammed the communication system by playing music on radio channels, which he described as a psychological tactic.
Reports indicate that the operation took place about 600 nautical miles from Gaza, farther than any previous Israeli action against an aid flotilla.
It is worth noting that this flotilla consists of more than 50 ships carrying activists from various countries, which set sail from Italy to Gaza, described by organizers as the largest humanitarian aid mission to date.
Last year, the Israeli military also intercepted about 40 ships from the same flotilla, detaining over 450 people, who were later deported, while some activists also alleged physical and mental abuse during detention.