Israeli navy attacks another aid flotilla heading to Gaza

The Israeli navy has attacked another aid flotilla sailing towards Gaza in an attempt to break the blockade imposed on the Strip, according to media sources.

The reports said the navy intercepted the flotilla’s ships about 140 miles off the Gaza coast, confirming that contact with the vessels had been lost. The nine-boat convoy, affiliated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), issued a distress call following what it described as an Israeli military attack in international waters, calling the escalation a “war crime.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had stopped another flotilla bound for Gaza, saying: “The ships and the activists aboard are being taken to an Israeli port.” It added that all passengers were safe and were expected to be deported immediately.

This latest voyage follows last week’s Israeli naval assault on more than 40 boats that were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza.

The Global Sumud Flotilla administration said six of its members remain detained by Israel after what it called an “illegal abduction” in international waters.

Reuters quoted Swedish activist Greta Thunberg as saying she and other detainees were “subjected to torture” in an Israeli prison, adding: “I was not given clean water, and other detainees were denied vital medicines.”

READ: Greta Thunberg and Sumud Flotilla activists reach Greece following detention in Israel