Activists on a flotilla which is trying to breach Israel’s naval blockade and deliver aid to Gaza say they are back on course after a reported confrontation with an Israeli warship in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) says that one of its lead vessels, Alma, was “aggressively circled” by an Israeli warship for several minutes, and on board communications were cut off during the incident.
The Israeli boat forced Alama’s captain to take evasive manoeuvres, activists say, before the same vessel repeated what activists described as “harassing manoeuvres” on another boat.
Israel has previously said it will not let the flotilla reach its destination.
It has already blocked two attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July.
The latest Gaza-bound grouping consists of more than 40 boats and 500 people, including Italian politicians and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, in a series of posts on Telegram, GSF activists said they had entered the area “where previous flotillas have been attacked and/or intercepted”.
They said they were on “high alert” and that drone activity was “increasing” above the flotilla.
Activists added that they had prepared for a possible interception after several unidentified vessels, some without lights, approached the flotilla.
The boats sailing in the flotilla had been accompanied by an Italian naval frigate, but Italian officials said that it would stop once the flotilla was 150 nautical miles (278km) from Gaza’s shoreline.
The GSF says its boats have passed the 120 nautical mile mark.
Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the activists stop the journey, saying they risked derailing a US plan to end the war.
Meloni said the US proposal had sparked “hope” of ending the Israel-Hamas war, adding it was “a fragile balance, which many would be happy to destroy”.
“I fear that the flotilla’s attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade could serve as a pretext to do so,” Meloni said.
Israel has told the flotilla to deliver the humanitarian aid to an Israeli port instead, according to the AFP news agency.
Italian officials have urged the flotilla to accept a compromise and drop the aid in Cyprus to avoid a confrontation with Israel.
“Any other choice risks becoming a pretext for preventing peace, fuelling conflict and therefore affecting above all the people of Gaza,” Meloni said.
But in a statement, the Global Sumud Flotilla said it would continue to sail.
“The Italian navy will not derail this mission. The humanitarian demand to break the blockade cannot be walked back to port,” it said.
Last week, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto condemned what he said was an overnight drone attack by unidentified perpetrators on the flotilla.
Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to the flotilla, then off the coast of Crete, after it reported explosions, drones overhead and communications jamming – accusing Israel of a “dangerous escalation”.
Israel did not comment on the incident – but has repeatedly said the flotilla is a Hamas operation, without citing evidence.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern for the safety of the flotilla. “From all sides, people are saying, ‘let’s hope that there will not be violence, that people are respected’. That’s very important,” he said.
In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Greta Thunberg pushed back against criticism that the flotilla was a publicity stunt.
“I don’t think anyone would risk their life for a publicity stunt,” she said.
The US peace plan for Gaza proposes an immediate end to fighting, the release within 72 hours of 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas as well as the remains of the more than two dozen hostages who are believed to be dead – in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans.
