Israel Intercepts Flotilla Attempting Gaza Breach
18th May 2026
The Israeli military began intercepting several boats on Monday morning that are part of a flotilla attempting to break the Gaza blockade.
More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their journey to Gaza’s shores.
The organization’s livestream showed activists aboard several vessels putting on life jackets and raising their hands before a boat carrying troops approached. Israeli troops wearing tactical gear boarded the ship, and the livestream abruptly ended. Many of the ships are currently off the coast of Cyprus.
An hour prior to the interception, Israel’s Foreign Ministry called activists to “change course and turn back immediately.”
“Once again, a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called “humanitarian aid flotilla” with no humanitarian aid,” the Foreign Ministry posted on X. The Israeli military declined to comment on the ongoing operation.