It was just before noon in Portugal (2pm in Israel) this Thursday when the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared: “The Hamas-Sumud provocation is over.” By then, almost all of the boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla, en route to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid, had been intercepted and their passengers detained by Israeli authorities.
The Israeli navy first approached the fleet before 7pm on Wednesday and spent the entire night and following morning detaining activists in international waters. It took roughly 16 hours to stop all 42 vessels and arrest more than 500 people on board, among them four Portuguese nationals: Left Bloc MP and party leader Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, activist Miguel Duarte, and Diogo Matos Chaves, whose presence only became known after his detention was confirmed on Thursday.
While Israel later claimed the “provocation” had ended, flotilla organisers reported that 443 activists had so far been detained. Two of the vessels, identified as legal support boats, were not stopped. Another ship, the Mikeno, was also believed to have evaded interception and was reportedly within an hour of Gaza’s coastline.
By 11am Thursday, the first Israeli naval ship carrying detainees had docked at Ashdod port. Among those arrested were climate activist Greta Thunberg and Brazilian campaigner Thiago Ávila, both travelling on the Alma, the first vessel intercepted late Wednesday. Israel’s foreign ministry published images of them, stating: “They are being transferred safely and peacefully to Israel, where deportation proceedings to Europe will begin.”
The fate of the more than 500 activists is now clear: deportation. According to Israel's foreign ministry, most will be flown either to London or Madrid. As seen during the June interception of another Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) vessel, Madleen, detainees face two options: sign a declaration accepting deportation and leave immediately, or remain in detention for up to 72 hours while contesting the order. In either case, those deported are banned from re-entering Israel for 100 years.
Given the sheer numbers detained, processing is expected to be slower than usual. Many may be transferred to Ketziot, a high-security prison in southern Israel, known for its harsher conditions and rarely used for immigration cases. Israel has confirmed that detainees will initially be held in Be’er Sheva, near Ketziot, where consular representatives are expected to be allowed access from Friday morning.
Even those who agree to immediate deportation will not leave Israel before Saturday night. The timing coincides with Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, during which all businesses, public services and Ben Gurion Airport are closed for 25 hours. Deportation flights are therefore expected to begin only after the weekend, with departures likely on Monday following the observance of Shabbat.
The activists are receiving legal support both in Israel and at sea. The human rights group Adalah, based in Israel, has mobilised lawyers to meet detainees as they arrive. Suhad Bishara, Adalah’s legal director, told Reuters: “Our main concern is their wellbeing, their health conditions, and ensuring they have legal assistance before being heard in immigration court.”
Meanwhile, two “legal support vessels”, the Shireen, named after Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed by Israeli forces in 2022, and the Summertime-Jong, were deployed to monitor rights violations. Neither attempted to breach the blockade; the latter has since sailed to Cyprus.
As in previous flotilla missions, the humanitarian aid aboard is unlikely to reach Gaza. Israel has stated that any supplies seized are redirected through “official humanitarian channels”. Yet the ongoing blockade means such provisions fall far short of addressing what the UN has already declared to be a famine situation in the enclave.
