The Global Sumud Flotilla said on Wednesday night that its boats had been intercepted and boarded by Israeli naval forces.
The group said that the civilian boats, which are carrying aid bound for Gaza, had been “illegally intercepted” and at least two vessels boarded.
“Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board,” the statement said.
The flotilla of about 50 ships, together with around 500 activists and a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, has been sailing towards Gaza to break an Israeli maritime blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. It left the port of Barcelona a month ago.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is named after an Arabic word for resilience. Previous attempts to break the Gaza blockade have been thwarted by the Israeli military.
The crew includes Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, as well as medical professionals, politicians and others.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Israel had "safely stopped" several vessels and was transferring the passengers to an Israeli port.
"Greta and her friends are safe and healthy," the ministry wrote on social media.
Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member travelling with the flotilla, said that "hundreds" of people were "illegally arrested and arbitrarily detained by Israel" during the interception.
Spain and Italy had sent navy ships to escort the flotilla for a part of the journey, but urged activists to turn back and avoid confrontation with Israel.
Italy's largest union has called a general strike for Friday in protest against the treatment of the flotilla, it said on Wednesday. Protests were also being held in some Italian cities late on Wednesday, including Naples, where demonstrators halted train traffic at the main station after reports that about 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the international flotilla.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry late last month declared that the blockade of Gaza was “lawful” and that the country would not allow boats to enter an active combat zone.
“We will not allow any PR stunt approaching an active war zone to violate our sovereignty,” Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said on Wednesday.
“Those who tried to enter Israeli territory illegally will be deported immediately after Yom Kippur in Israel. Israel has repeatedly offered ways to peacefully deliver aid to Gaza, but this flotilla is not interested in aid, only provocation.”
