“Kan”: The Israeli Navy stopped about 30 ships and detained about 250 members of the “Sumuda Flotilla”

More than 500 activists from 45 countries are participating in the “flotilla” that left Marmaris, Turkey last week.

Before the start of the operation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry called on the protesters to change course and return to Turkey.

The organizers of the “Sumud flotilla” are threatening to sue Israel “for violation of maritime law and piracy.”

The last interception of the Sumud flotilla ships was carried out by the IDF on April 30. Then the IDF stopped more than 20 ships of the “Sumud flotilla” en route to Gaza. There were approximately 175 activists on board these ships. In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spoke of a “flotilla of condoms” because contraceptives and drugs were found in the first aid kit on board one of the intercepted ships. Judging by the message of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, not all vessels of the flotilla were intercepted. Earlier it was reported that 58 ships were being intercepted, with 404 activists on board.

This was the second attempt by the Sumud flotilla to break the naval blockade of Gaza in less than a year. In October 2025, the Israeli Navy intercepted a previous flotilla of 42 vessels off the coast of Egypt, detaining all the activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson. All detainees were deported within a few days. Israel says the flotilla is funded by Hamas and is a “political provocation” rather than a humanitarian mission. The organizers deny this.