Israeli Navy intercepts vessels in Gaza-bound flotilla off Cyprus coast

The Israeli Navy on Monday was intercepting the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, just weeks after a previous flotilla was thwarted and two of its activists were detained.

Of the more than 50 vessels that departed from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, last week, at least 39 had been intercepted in the operation by Monday evening, according to Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker.

The group wrote on X that Israeli forces “illegally and violently intercepted our international fleet of humanitarian vessels and abducted our volunteers.”

And Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the Israeli actions as “piracy and banditry” that were carried out with a “fascist mentality.” He said in a televised address on Monday that his country stands with the people of Gaza and those who help the territory. Officials from Ireland, Spain and Indonesia also spoke out on behalf of the activists.

Israel has previously dismissed the flotillas as publicity stunts, after their organizers rejected calls to transfer the small amount of symbolic aid they had been carrying with them to Israel or international organizations to be taken into the Strip and distributed via official channels.

Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the commandos intercepting the ships and the Foreign Ministry said on X that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”

The Israeli Navy has begun to intercept the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel's naval blockade. pic.twitter.com/YXeSwxPDOd

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 18, 2026

Netanyahu told the commander in charge of the interception that the navy succeeded in stopping the ships with much less noise than the organizers intended.

“You are doing an outstanding job, both in the first flotilla and in this part as well, and are effectively thwarting a malicious plan intended to break the isolation we are imposing on Hamas terrorists in Gaza,” he said to the commander of the navy’s Missile Ship Fleet, the navy’s main surface warfare arm, speaking on the force’s radio.

“You are doing this with great success, and I must say also, quietly, and certainly with less publicity than our enemies expected,” Netanyahu said.

The Foreign Ministry later posted a video of what it said were activists “hugging after being transferred to Israeli vessels” and said no aid had so far been found on their boats.

Naval commandos boarded the first of Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessels at sea off the coast of Cyprus Monday morning, a livestream showed before abruptly ending.

Other footage showed Israeli forces on speedboats approaching and instructing the activists to move to the front of the boat. The interceptions took place well outside Cypriot territorial waters that stretch 22 kilometers (14 miles) from the island’s coastline, at a location some 167 kilometers (104 miles) away, according to the national center responsible for search and rescue operations there.

The center said it had not received any distress calls from the area. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides also said that Israel did not inform Cypriot authorities of its intention to intercept the flotilla.

By mid-afternoon on Monday, 16 vessels had been intercepted, and by the evening, the Israeli Navy gained control of 23 more vessels.

Activists from the provocation flotilla are seen hugging after being transferred to Israeli vessels. So far, no aid has been found on their boats. pic.twitter.com/7ZAqKz5lEW

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 18, 2026

A previous flotilla departed from Spain on April 12. But Israeli forces intercepted vessels in that group, taking more than 100 activists to Crete and detaining two others in Israel. Last October, the navy halted another flotilla assembled by the same organization, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.

Unlike previous interceptions, which mostly took place under the cover of night, the Israeli military boarded the boats in broad daylight.

The flotilla organizers said they expect the activists to be taken to the port of Ashdod, in southern Israel. Activists on previous flotillas were brought to the same port, where some were processed and immediately deported, while others were detained before they were deported.

Irish president’s sister among those intercepted

The sister of Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly was among eight Irish citizens intercepted by the naval commandos, organizers said. Speaking to reporters after visiting with the UK’s King Charles III, Connolly said she was “very proud of my sister, but I’m also very worried about her,” according to Politico.

Connolly, who was elected last year, is a far-left politician who has called Israel a “terrorist state.”

Margaret Connolly, an Irish doctor and President Connolly’s sister, was among those “illegally kidnapped” by Israel, organizers said in a statement sent to AFP.

Videos posted by the organizers on social media showed Connolly and five others, who appear to have been recorded in advance of their detention.

In her video, Connolly said, “If you are watching this video, it means I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces.”

“Her participation in this flotilla was her own decision and not related to President Connolly,” organizers said.

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he had summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid on Monday over what he called “a new violation of international law barely 15 days after the previous interception.” He estimated there were around 45 Spanish nationals in the flotilla, of which between 10 and 20 were being detained.

Italy said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly asked the Israeli government for assurances regarding the safety and well-being of detained Italian activists aboard the flotilla.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry urged Israel to release all the detained activists and confirmed two of its nationals, including a journalist, were aboard the flotilla.

Hamas condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla as a “full-fledged crime of piracy” and called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its blockade.

Turkey echoed the terror group’s piracy accusation and called on Israel to immediately halt its operation and release the flotilla participants. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara was working with international bodies and other governments to ensure the safe return of Turkish citizens on board the flotilla.

The flotilla is being led by Turkish aid organization IHH, which is designated in Israel as a terror organization and which organized the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza.

During that flotilla, 10 Turkish activists were killed in a violent confrontation with Israeli naval commandos aboard a ship that aimed to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.