- 'It really goes to show Israel's impunity and their willingness to completely disregard international law,' says Palestinian-American writer Tariq Ra’ouf
- 'We heard of very brutal captures. People were basically held at gunpoint. Boats were being rammed,' Haitian-German activist Marie Alice Morel tells Anadolu
Activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla say Israel’s interception of their vessels in international waters near Crete marks a sharp escalation – both in distance and significance – highlighting what they describe as growing impunity, rising risks at sea and a lack of international protection.
Israeli forces surrounded vessels traveling with the Global Sumud Flotilla off the coast of the Greek island of Crete late Wednesday, detaining more than 180 activists and seizing 21 boats, according to organizers. The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid, set sail from Sicily a few days ago after departing Barcelona on April 12, bringing together 58 vessels in an attempt to break Israel’s years-long blockade of Gaza.
Tariq Ra’ouf, a Palestinian-American writer and a prominent organizer in the Apples4Ceasefire campaign, said interceptions of Gaza-bound flotillas have previously occurred much closer to Gaza, within a so-called “orange zone” or specific interception area.
This time, however, he said the vessels were stopped much further out at sea, describing the location as “very different, very far,” and “closer to Crete than it is to Gaza.”
"It really goes to show Israel's impunity and their willingness to completely disregard international law," he added.
Ra’ouf said the flotilla had split into two groups before the incident, with one half positioned further north and the other further south, adding that Israeli forces had approached the southern group.
He noted that the situation escalated late in the evening, beginning with aerial surveillance followed by military intervention.
“We got reports that several of our vessels were being approached by drones and were being circled by five to six drones per vessel,” he said, adding that shortly after, they started spotting military ships in the distance.
Ra’ouf said Israeli forces used smaller military boats to surround and board several aid vessels, “illegally intercepting and detaining” activists in international waters.
He explained that around 20 aid vessels were intercepted by Israeli forces, while a similar number remained at sea, warning that some boats had been sabotaged and left stranded, and were now facing danger from an approaching storm.
“We have a couple of vessels trying to go pick up the comrades that are still stuck on those ships, so they're not stranded at sea during the storm,” he added.
‘Governments are supposed to protect us — they’re failing’
Marie Alice Morel, a Haitian-German writer and activist aboard the flotilla, also described heightened tensions overnight to Anadolu.
“Over the night, a lot of us stayed awake. We had a lot of drone activity,” she said, adding that as drones flew over the vessels, they were shining down “bright lights to identify the boat or the people.”
“I think for us, probably one of the most intense situations was that shortly after, Israel said: ‘Okay, we’re going to attack the flotilla’,” Morel said.
She said activists on other vessels reported forceful interceptions. “We heard of very brutal captures. People were basically held at gunpoint. Boats were being rammed.”
“But it is still every time an extreme disappointment and frustrating to see that no one thinks about stepping up towards Israel,” Morel stressed, criticizing the lack of international response.
Morel also criticized governments for not doing enough to support the activists.
“It’s appalling that our governments, the ones we are citizens of, that are supposed to protect us, are failing this much; that we have to create these huge calls to actions online, that people call the foreign embassies and basically beg our countries to do something,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Morel said the movement had expanded over the past year.
“It has a lot of great partners involved, especially in the West, that are trying to make a difference. I would describe that as tangible impact."
'We have to keep trying'
Tara Reynor O'Grady, another activist on board the Gaza-bound flotilla, said that despite Israeli interceptions, activists were determined to press ahead.
"We know that we will have further incidents. We expect them, but we are making contingency plans to continue the mission and work around the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) because there is no alternative."
In voice messages to Anadolu, O'Grady, an Irish human rights activist, said Israeli forces intercepted 21 boats and detained around 186 people who were being taken by the Israeli military to Ashdod.
She noted that swarms of drones were buzzing above and around the vessels all night, along with the sounds of gunfire, adding that one boat was incapacitated and left adrift while people were still on board.
With a storm appearing in the next couple of hours, the ship was very far out at sea, with no way of reaching them, she recounted.
The flotilla, part of the Global Sumud campaign, is attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and challenge Israel’s naval blockade.
She said 32 vessels remain from the flotilla’s initial departure from Barcelona and Sicily, with more expected to join from Greece and other countries, adding that momentum is picking up.
O'Grady expressed concern, however, about those detained, particularly Palestinians.
"Palestinians are going to suffer very long, detained arrests and have many charges brought against them, and obviously we're very concerned as well because there is the threats to their lives one way or the other if they're kept in prison."
She said that with the Israeli interception of their boats near the territory of a European country, Israel had created a perfect storm for itself.
"They have targeted us inside of Europe and they don't own the Mediterranean. They don't own the seas, and they certainly don't own us civilians, and we will not allow them to continue uncontested. They cannot be allowed to have continued impunity."
"We have to keep trying … People are very frustrated all over the world and aghast at the continuing genocide in Gaza."
