Israeli forces have intercepted nearly all of the 50 activist flotilla boats en route to Gaza, detaining numerous protesters among the 500 attempting to deliver aid to the enclave.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which featured climate activist Greta Thunberg, was halted, and Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced the conclusion of the operation. Israeli airstrikes and gunfire resulted in the deaths of at least 41 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Hamas was deliberating its response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the ongoing conflict.
The proposal demands that Hamas release 48 hostages, renounce power, and disarm in exchange for the liberation of Palestinian prisoners and cessation of hostilities. Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted the proposal, it does not outline a path to Palestinian statehood.
The flotilla, consisting of over 40 boats and nearly 450 activists, carried a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Their primary objective was to challenge Israel’s blockade and halt the oppression of Palestinians.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the flotilla as a “provocation,” stating that alternative channels were available for aid delivery. Organizers reported that around 39 boats were intercepted or presumed intercepted during the Israeli operation.
Israeli authorities later confirmed that only one boat remained unintercepted. The war, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 251 others.
Currently, 48 hostages are still held in Gaza, with approximately 20 believed to be alive. The subsequent Israeli offensive has led to the deaths of over 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israeli forces detained and evacuated numerous individuals, including Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, and European Parliament member Rima Hassan, from the flotilla. Following a major Israeli offensive in Gaza City last month, around 400,000 Palestinians have fled due to famine.
Smoke was observed in northern Gaza on Thursday morning, and residents were seen fleeing southward.