The interception occurred between 1 and 2 October, with the Israeli military seizing 22 boats from the convoy near Crete, according to the BBC. Approximately 175 people were on board the seized vessels. The Israeli foreign ministry said 175 people from more than 20 boats were detained.
However, the organizers claimed 15 vessels were boarded, while Israeli army radio, citing an unnamed military source, reported that seven of the 58 boats were intercepted near Kythira. Israeli media reports said at least ten boats were stopped. The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said Israeli naval forces had intercepted, boarded, and systematically disabled and destroyed various boats during a violent raid in international waters north-west of Crete overnight.
The GSF organisers denounced the action as piracy. Israel's military surrounded the convoy in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence, according to the organizers. Israel, via a video shared on a post, depicted activists doing cartwheels, smiling and laughing on Israeli vessels.
The Israeli foreign ministry said the operation was carried out peacefully and without any casualties. Organizers claimed activists were mistreated on board Israeli ships, and Greek authorities said at least 31 of the released needed medical attention after the action. Israeli forces detained participants, smashed an engine, jammed communications, and left civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels in the path of a storm, the GSF said.
Over 180 civilians from around the world have been directly attacked, according to the GSF. Pro-Palestinian activists said 22 boats from the flotilla were intercepted, and those on board were seized unlawfully more than 965km (600 miles) from Gaza, according to GSF organisers. The GSF's data showed most of the remaining 36 boats in the flotilla were currently close to Crete's south coast.
Israeli soldiers acted with professionalism and determination.
The flotilla lost contact with 11 vessels, according to the group. Several Swedes were on board, major media reported. A Swedish citizen was arrested after the Israeli military stopped the convoy, Ekot first reported.
Most activists were taken to the Greek island of Crete and released, according to Ekot and Greek authorities. Israel released 176 activists on Crete after boarding the aid convoy, major media reported. Two crew members are still deprived of liberty, Ekot said.
A Swedish man in his 40s is held in continued custody by Israeli authorities, the Swedish Foreign Ministry (UD) confirmed. Israel points out the man as a leader of an organization with ties to Hamas. The Swedish embassy in Tel Aviv is in contact with Israeli authorities, the UD said.
Two leaders of the aid action are still in Israeli custody, suspected of illegal activity, major media reported. Three days later, 42 detainees began a hunger strike in protest. By 6 October, over a hundred activists had been deported from Israel.
Participants reported mistreatment during detention, which was dismissed by the Israeli foreign ministry. The governments of Spain and Brazil called the incident a kidnapping and a violation of international law. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for restraint and universal respect for international law.
The flotilla is a provocative flotilla.
Greece asked Israel to withdraw its vessels from the region and offered to receive the passengers and ensure their safe return home. Greek authorities are in consultation with Israeli authorities regarding safe disembarkation, and ministry officials are proceeding to the point of arrival. Israel's foreign minister announced coordination with the Greek government to disembark the transferred individuals on a Greek beach.
In the evening of the interception, spontaneous protests took place across various locations in Europe. Israel has previously described the flotilla as a political provocation with alleged ties to Hamas. The group rejected the characterization of ties to Hamas.
Israel denies hindering aid to Gaza and accuses activists of supporting Hamas. The Israeli foreign ministry said early action was required due to the large number of vessels, risk of escalation, and need to prevent breach of a lawful blockade. An initial inspection of the vessels revealed materials that appear to be drugs and contraceptives, the ministry said.
The ministry accused the flotilla's organisers of joining hands with Hamas to sabotage President Trump's Gaza peace plan and divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm. The flotilla actively tried to block an Israeli merchant vessel, according to the Israeli foreign ministry. Israel insists its actions comply with international law.
' Israel's foreign ministry dismissed the flotilla as a PR stunt. The Global Sumud Flotilla was an international, civil society-led maritime initiative launched in mid-2025. The flotilla comprised over 40 vessels with 500 participants from more than 44 countries, making it the largest civilian-led convoy of its kind in history.
Israel's foreign ministry dismissed the flotilla as a 'PR stunt'.
The purpose is to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, according to organizers. The flotilla was named for ṣumūd, Arabic for steadfastness or resilience. The initiative emerged in July 2025, organized by a coalition including the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Movement to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara.
The flotilla began to set sail late August 2025 from various ports including Otranto, Genoa, Barcelona, Catania, Syros, and Tunis. The convoy consists of more than 50 boats that sailed from Marseille and Barcelona, according to organizers. The flotilla set sail two weeks ago, with a total of 58 vessels joining from Spain, France and Italy.
It was the first unauthorized naval humanitarian mission to come within 70 nautical miles of the Gaza coast since the blockade was imposed in 2009. Some attempts to break the Israeli blockade were successful before 2010, but since then ships have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces. On 9 September, a fire broke out on one of the main vessels, suspected to be a drone attack.
A second incendiary attack was reported the following night on another vessel. On the night of 24 September, eleven vessels were attacked by drones. On 28 September, with the convoys merged in Crete, the flotilla departed to continue its journey towards Gaza.
By early 3 October, Israel had intercepted all vessels of the flotilla. On 8 October, a subsequent flotilla consisting of 9 ships was organized by FFC and Thousand Madleens to Gaza. Over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza war, major media reported.
The UN has sounded the alarm about catastrophic hunger in Gaza. The death toll has not been confirmed. It is unclear what happened to five Norwegian participants, according to NTB.
The exact legal basis for Israel's interception in international waters remains uncertain, as does the current status and condition of the Swedish man and the two leaders still in Israeli custody. The content of the aid on the flotilla and whether it included any prohibited items as alleged by Israel have not been independently verified.