Israel has confirmed that it intercepted every vessel in the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza.
More than 50 ships tried to reach the shores of the Strip carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, but all were picked up by the Israeli navy before making landfall.
Climate activist turned pro-Palestine campaigner Greta Thunberg is among the crew members detained, having already been deported from Israel following a previous flotilla mission in June.
Four of the more than 470 activists involved in the attempt have been deported, Israeli authorities confirmed.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: "The Hamas-Sumud provocation is over.
"None of the Hamas-Sumud provocation yachts has succeeded in its attempt to enter an active combat zone or breach the lawful naval blockade.
"All the passengers are safe and in good health. They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe."
Flotilla organisers claimed that the interceptions were carried out in international waters and were, therefore, a violation of international law.
However, Israel has dismissed these allegations, arguing that the blockade on Gaza is lawful and, consequently, so is the interception of ships trying to violate it.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has already confirmed that a new flotilla, crewed by more than 100 activists, is on its way to Gaza.
It comes after the Foreign Ministry released documents, apparently seized from Gaza, purporting to show links between senior figures in the flotilla campaign and Hamas.
The first document, a 2021 letter from then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, gives the group’s endorsement to the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which Israel has alleged acts as Hamas’ representatives abroad. Indeed, Israel designated the PCPA as a terrorist group in its own right in 2021.
The other document is a list of alleged PCPA activists, including activist Zaher Birawi, who has led the flotilla movement for the past 15 years and chairs the Europal Forum, a pro-Palestine lobbying group.
Birawi, a journalist based in London, has previously faced allegations of being linked to Hamas and was described as a “senior Hamas operative” by Labour MP Christian Wakeford during a parliamentary debate in 2023.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry claimed: “This confirms that key assets of the flotilla are effectively owned and controlled by Hamas.
"They clarify the chain of command and financial support behind these operations, which have long been presented under civilian pretence.
"These documents expose the depth of Hamas’ international network and its operational control over individuals leading the flotilla.”
Neither Birawi, the PCPA nor the EuroPal forum responded to the JC’s requests for comment.
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