223 activists detained by Israeli naval forces aboard international aid flotilla: Organizers

A total of 223 international activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid convoy were detained by the Israeli forces, organizers said on Thursday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said through the US social media company X that 15 boats were confirmed attacked by the Israeli forces since late Wednesday, as eight others are likely to be or currently getting under attack.

The flotilla shared on the US social media company Instagram the names and nationalities of 223 activists aboard the attacked vessels.

Meanwhile, the official flotilla tracker showed that 20 vessels have been attacked by the Israeli forces, as 24 others continue their way to Gaza.

According to Erdem Ozveren, a Turkish activist from the global mission, their vessel is less than 30 nautical miles away from Gaza.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August. It was the first time in years that more than 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying over 500 civilian supporters from over 45 countries.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to a population of nearly 2.4 million, for nearly 18 years, and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.