The Freedom Flotilla-Thousand Madleens coalition, which is sailing towards Gaza with nine ships with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade, reported that Israeli military ships surrounded them and intercepted almost all of their vessels. Of the nine that left Italy, eight have been detained by the Army, while only one is still sailing “attacked” by an Israeli helicopter.
Through their social networks, the flotilla alerted at 2:38 GMT (3:38 Spanish time) that eight Israeli military vessels surrounded them in international waters and that at least two ships were detained. Shortly after, around 3:00 GMT, they assured that the Milad sailboat was also attacked and intercepted.
“The Israeli Army has no legal jurisdiction in international waters. Our flotilla does not present any threat. We carry vital aid worth more than $110,000 in medicine, respiratory material and nutritional supplements destined for Gaza hospitals,” the initiative published.
Four hours before reporting the attacks, the flotilla claimed to have crossed the 140 nautical mile (about 260 kilometers) border, the distance at which Israel has previously begun to intercept similar initiatives.
The flotilla, with about 140 crew members, already expected that its vessels would be detained in the Mediterranean, just as happened last Wednesday with the Sumud Global Flotilla, which set sail almost a month before the Liberty Flotilla.
The mission constitutes a new attempt to break the Israeli siege of Gaza and create a humanitarian corridor with the Strip.