Israeli occupation forces once again targeted international humanitarian missions bound for Gaza, raiding and hijacking multiple civilian aid flotillas on Tuesday, October 8, 2025, in a brazen violation of international law.

The vessels were part of the ongoing Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) campaign, jointly organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) — international grassroots networks dedicated to breaking the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and delivering essential humanitarian aid.

According to flotilla organizers, the latest assault occurred approximately 120 nautical miles (220 kilometers) from Gaza’s shores — well within international waters, where Israel holds no jurisdiction.

Nine humanitarian boats — Abd Elkarim Eid, Alaa Al-Najar, Anas Al-Sharif, Conscience, Gaza Sunbird, Leila Khaled, Milad, Soul of My Soul, and Um Saad — were forcibly boarded and seized by heavily armed Israeli forces within a single hour.

The vessels were carrying medical doctors, journalists, elected officials, and humanitarian volunteers from around the world, alongside vital cargo including life-saving medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies valued at over $110,000.

Witnesses reported that the final vessel to be intercepted was Conscience, which had diverted toward Egyptian waters after detecting Israeli naval activity. All boats were seized and redirected toward Israeli ports under armed escort.

In an official statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed that the flotillas represented “another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone.”

Despite the clear illegality of intercepting civilian ships in international waters, the ministry boasted that “the vessels and passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port” and would be “deported promptly.”

This latest operation follows last week’s mass hijacking of over 40 vessels participating in the GSF, marking the largest international flotilla effort to challenge the 18-year-long siege on Gaza. That convoy included 479 activists representing dozens of countries.

Condemnation swiftly followed from flotilla organizers and human rights advocates.

“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” said David Heap, member of the Canadian Boat to Gaza and a key figure in the FFC Steering Committee.

“This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the International Court of Justice’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” Heap added.

In a joint statement, the FFC and TMTG denounced the attack as a “deliberate escalation” and a “direct assault on humanity.”

“These repeated attacks on unarmed civilians demonstrate Israel’s total disregard for international law — and the utter failure of Western governments to hold it accountable,” the groups stated.

They also recalled earlier Israeli aggressions, including the illegal seizure of the vessels Handala and Madleen, as well as a drone strike on the ship Conscience in European waters weeks earlier — a strike that damaged the vessel before repairs were made to rejoin the mission.

The Global Sumud Flotilla represents a continuation of a long international struggle to challenge Israel’s inhumane blockade of Gaza — a siege widely condemned as collective punishment by the United Nations and human rights organizations.

The campaign follows in the footsteps of previous historic missions, including the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla, during which Israeli forces killed ten Turkish peace activists aboard the civilian ship in international waters.

Despite repeated attacks and arrests, humanitarian organizers remain resolute, asserting that the right to deliver aid cannot be subjected to Israeli permission or political manipulation.

The raids come amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza. After nearly two years of relentless bombardment and blockade, the coastal enclave faces famine-like conditions, with aid agencies warning that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians suffer from acute hunger and malnutrition.

Hospitals continue to collapse under shortages of medicine, fuel, and clean water — consequences of the blockade that the flotilla sought to alleviate.

“Each vessel carried a message of hope, defiance, and solidarity with Gaza’s people,” the FFC said. “By attacking them, Israel only exposes its fear of global conscience and its moral isolation.”

In summary, the hijacking of the Global Sumud Flotilla marks yet another episode in Israel’s ongoing war against international humanitarian efforts — a campaign aimed at suffocating the people of Gaza and silencing global solidarity movements. But as activists vowed, neither the sea nor the siege will stop the world from standing with Palestine. (ILKHA)