Tel Aviv / PNN /
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11 quoted Israeli military sources on Thursday as saying that “none of the ships of the Global Freedom Flotilla managed to enter the Gaza maritime zone, which is under full Israeli control,” dismissing organizers’ claims to the contrary as “false.”
Earlier Thursday, the Maghreb Freedom Flotilla, part of the Global Freedom Flotilla seeking to break the blockade on Gaza, announced that it had entered the enclave’s territorial waters, pushing toward its goal despite Israeli attempts to stop it at sea. In a post on Facebook, the flotilla said: “We have crossed into Gaza’s territorial waters, and only 8.4 nautical miles (about 15 km) separate us from its shores.”
Addressing participants, the flotilla added: “Our heroes, you are now breathing the air of Palestine and glimpsing its sacred land. The people of tents and unyielding resilience are waving to you. Gaza, which once seemed far, now appears beyond the waves, with our hearts waiting for you on the shore. From Tunisia, we salute you, calling your names and raising our voices from hundreds of squares: we stand behind you and extend our arms of support and steadfastness.”
The flotilla has faced Israeli naval intervention since Wednesday evening. On X, organizers said their vessels were attacked by about 10 Israeli ships in international waters, prompting them to issue a distress call and denounce the interception as a “war crime.” By early Thursday, they reported that 30 vessels were still sailing about 46 miles from Gaza despite ongoing Israeli assaults, including the use of water cannons and deliberate ramming, describing the actions as a “crime against humanity.”
On Telegram, the Global Freedom Flotilla said Israeli forces had boarded the Specter, Alma, Sirius and other boats in international waters, and that the fate of those onboard remained unclear. The vessels were intercepted roughly 70 nautical miles from Gaza, within a zone Israel monitors to prevent any boats from reaching the enclave.
According to flotilla data, Israel’s navy intercepted 40 of the 44 boats bound for Gaza as part of the international mission to break the blockade.
On Thursday, the flotilla also released the names of 21 ships it said had been attacked in international waters en route to Gaza. They included: Alma, Sirius, Adara, Specter, Yolara, Aurora, Outaria, Hoga, Deir Yassin, Grand Blue, Morgana, Hue, Seoul, All In, Captain Nikos, Florida, Karma, Mohammad Bahar, Oxygono, Free Willy, and Janot 3.
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