Crete (Greece), 30 April (H.S.):
Israel’s defence forces have halted a large flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, preventing them from advancing further into international waters near the Greek island of Crete. The move has been confirmed by Danny Danon, Israel’s envoy to the United Nations. Danon stated on X: “The flotilla has been stopped before it could reach Israeli territorial waters.”
According to Al Jazeera’s report, the diplomat added that Israeli troops carried out the operation with full determination. Meanwhile, the Freedom Flotilla alliance (also known as the Global Sumud Flotilla) has released a recording of the warning issued by Israel. The group said the warning was directed at the ships heading to Gaza, stating that any further attempt to move towards the enclave with relief materials would put their safety at risk. It added that the Israeli military has all the legal options at its disposal to enforce the maritime security blockade.
The warning stated: “Attempts to breach the legal maritime security blockade around the Gaza Strip will be treated as violations of international law. If you are carrying humanitarian aid, you are invited to proceed to the Ashdod port, where the assistance will undergo a security inspection and will then be sent into the Gaza Strip.”
On the issue, Global Sumud Flotilla communications officer Gur Tzabar said that any Israeli attack on the convoy of humanitarian‑aid ships heading to Gaza would be illegal under international law. He said, “This is a direct attack on civilians in international waters. Civilians’ boats are being surrounded and threatened at gunpoint hundreds of miles away from Israel. Israel has no jurisdiction in this maritime zone.” Tzabar called on governments around the world to intervene immediately, stressing that the safety of more than 400 people on board the flotilla is of critical importance.
It is noteworthy that Israel’s blockade has been in place since 2007. Although two boats managed to break through the Israeli naval blockade and reach Gaza after 2008, no aid‑bearing vessel has succeeded in reaching Gaza since then. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish human‑rights activists who were attempting such a voyage. According to CBS News, on 2 May 2025, Israel also launched a drone strike at one of the group’s ships in international waters near the coast of Malta, at around midnight, causing severe damage to the vessel.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
