Israel’s elite naval commandos from the Shayetet 13 unit intercepted a Gaza bound activist flotilla in international waters overnight, taking control of multiple vessels tied to the Turkish led “Global Sumud Flotilla” and preventing them from breaching Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza.

According to Israeli officials, the convoy included activists linked to the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or IHH, the same organization involved in the deadly 2010 Mavi Marmara confrontation. Israeli authorities described the latest flotilla as a political provocation designed to generate headlines and benefit Hamas rather than deliver meaningful humanitarian assistance.

Israeli forces reportedly boarded the vessels after repeated warnings and commands to change course were ignored. Activists who refused instructions were detained and transferred onto what officials described as a temporary holding area aboard a larger Israeli naval vessel before being transported toward the Israeli port of Ashdod for processing and deportation.

Despite concerns that activists could violently resist the boarding operation, early reports indicate Israeli troops secured the ships without deadly clashes.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry sharply condemned the flotilla, accusing organizers of attempting to undermine diplomatic efforts and distract from Hamas’s refusal to disarm. Officials also pointed to the massive quantities of aid already entering Gaza, saying more than 1.58 million tons of humanitarian supplies and thousands of tons of medical equipment have entered the territory since October 2025.

“The purpose of this provocation is to serve Hamas,” Israeli officials said, adding that Israel “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”

The operation was carried out as regional tensions remain high and amid ongoing international debate over humanitarian access to Gaza and the future of post war arrangements in the territory.