The Flotilla activists detained by Israel will disembark in Greece

BarcelonaThe Flotilla activists detained by Israel will disembark in Greece soon. This was announced by the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, who assured in a message on X that "the individuals transferred from the flotilla boats to the Israeli ship will disembark on a Greek beach in the coming hours", in coordination with the Greek authorities. "Israel will not allow the legal naval blockade on Gaza to be broken", the text concludes.

The announcement comes hours after some 170 activists were detained on Wednesday night, when Israel intercepted some of the humanitarian aid boats that are part of the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, which confirmed the detention, initially stated that the activists were being transferred to Israel. Among those detained are about twenty Catalans, the organization reports.

Speedboats identified as the Israeli army stopped some of the boats as they were about to reach Crete, in international waters. According to their accounts, they pointed lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons at the crew members from military boats and frigates, and ordered them to position themselves at the front of the vessels, kneeling with their hands up. According to the organization, 22 out of the 58 boats that make up the civil humanitarian mission were intercepted. The rest of the ships were able to enter Greek territorial waters during the early morning. The assault occurred more than 1,000 kilometers away from Israel's borders.

"We have lost communication with the rest of the boats, especially with the leaders," explains Pau Pérez, a crew member of the "Venus", one of the Flotilla boats, to el ARA. He recounts that, in a moment of confusion, they saw several lights coming from boats and drones, and heard shots, which they believed was an attempt to scare them. But then they realized it was an interception and that they were detaining the activists. "We saw several interventions around us, very close, with soldiers armed to the teeth, with flashlights and lasers like from video games. It looked like war images," he maintains.

The events took place in international waters near Crete, meaning outside of Israel's jurisdiction and far from where previous missions had been intercepted, which had stopped them closer to the coast of Gaza. The Israeli navy radioed the vessels: "If you continue to attempt to breach the maritime blockade, we will stop your vessel and proceed to confiscate it and subject it to legal proceedings in the courts. You are responsible for your actions."

In a statement, the organization has denounced what it considers an act of "piracy." They claim that Israel's action marks "a dangerous and unprecedented escalation: the hijacking of civilians in the middle of the Mediterranean, more than 600 miles from Gaza, in full view of the world. Let's be clear. This is piracy. This is the illegal hijacking of human beings on the high seas near Crete, an assertion that Israel can operate with total impunity, far beyond its own borders, without any consequences."

"I am very sad because I have many friends among the kidnapped people," adds Pérez, who emphasizes that "they have not committed any crime." Amidst the anguish and confusion —it was the middle of the night and the crew still did not know which vessels had been intercepted and which had not—, the Venus attempted to navigate to Greece's territorial waters, as they had been instructed, albeit without much hope of reaching it. "At that moment, we expected the worst. I said goodbye to friends and family," says Pérez. But they finally arrived. Now that the rest of the vessels are also there, their objective is to regroup and resupply, taking advantage of the fact that the bad weather also prevents them from sailing in optimal conditions.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona bound for Gaza on April 15th, had been joined by vessels from Italian ports and was expected to add about twenty more in Greece and Turkey, reaching a total of a hundred. It would have been the largest maritime convoy in the last 20 years to break the siege of Gaza. It is now uncertain whether the fleet will continue to the Strip. "Personally, I am very eager to continue, but it is a collective decision," says Pérez, who assures that they are "prepared for any imminent intervention." "The risk of being intercepted is less than the risk of doing nothing and normalizing this genocide that is annihilating the Palestinian people," he adds.

"Sabotage the peace plan"

Israel has justified the detention, stating that the Flotilla's objective is "to sabotage President Trump's peace plan" and to distract public attention to prevent Hamas from disarming. In a message on X, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this "preemptive action" was necessary and claims it was done in accordance with international law, despite acknowledging that it took place in international waters, a fact that makes it illegal.

The Open Arms vessel, accompanying the Flotilla on a mission of testimony and logistical support, is attempting to locate the boats left adrift by the Israeli assault. The founder of the humanitarian rescue NGO, Oscar Camps, has denounced the attack and detailed that the Greek coast guard did not respond to the SOS sent by the Flotilla's vessels, despite the boarding occurring in an area under their responsibility. "The Flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli navy and pursued by drones 670 miles from its territorial waters, in a Greek SAR zone, while Frontex observed from the air. Is this piracy and it happens in a European SAR zone, only 45 miles from Greece. What is Europe doing?", stated Camps, who had already arrived in Gaza in 2024 to open the maritime humanitarian corridor. The mission was subsequently abruptly interrupted after an Israeli attack in which seven workers from the partner NGO World Central Kitchen died.

The Spanish government summons the Israeli representative

For their part, President Salvador Illa has issued a statement condemning Israel's intervention in international waters: "It is contrary to international law and, therefore, inadmissible," he stated. He also explained that the government is monitoring the situation and is in contact with Israeli authorities to "guarantee the protection of all individuals."

The Spanish government has urgently summoned Israel's chargé d'affaires in Spain, Tel Aviv's highest-ranking official in the country, to convey "the strongest condemnation for the detention of the flotilla," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release. Furthermore, the text assures that both the Spanish embassy and consulate in Israel are "in contact with the organizers of the flotilla."

In a joint appearance in Parliament, ERC, Comuns, and the CUP have denounced the interception of the Flotilla and have shown their support for the activists who are bringing humanitarian aid and helping to raise awareness of the genocide in Gaza. The three groups, with the support of the PSC, have registered an institutional declaration in which they condemn the Israeli assault on the Flotilla.