FLASH
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The ships of the Global Sumud Flotilla mission, launched with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, are facing a serious escalation in the Mediterranean today.
The Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that its navy intervened to evacuate 11 people from the flotilla, including three Turkish citizens, after a request for assistance from the shipboard. The exact reasons for the evacuation have not yet been revealed, but the operation highlights the high risk the mission faces.
The flotilla itself has reported numerous movements around the ships. Italian MP Arturo Scotto, present on board, has announced that “a dozen unknown boats” have approached up to 5 miles, while military aircraft – which Scotto identifies as British based in Cyprus – have taken off from the area where the flotilla is located.
In recent hours, organizers have announced that dozens of ships, believed to be Israeli, have positioned themselves about 4 miles ahead of them, placing the humanitarian fleet on “high alert.” According to international sources, Israeli forces are expected to intercept them and launch a blockade operation within hours.
According to activists, over 20 motorboats and several military boats have already joined the flotilla. Israel has sent official messages describing the attempt to break the blockade as a violation of international law, warning that the ships will be stopped, confiscated, and the people on board will be escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod for subsequent deportation.
Italian diplomatic sources have stressed that Israel has been ordered not to use force during the operation, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has stated that activists may be arrested and repatriated, but there will be no military escalation. Usually, in such cases, captured ships are not sunk, but towed and seized along with the aid.
The main ship “Alma”, where most of the international activists are, is now surrounded by speedboats and monitored by drones, according to Italian MEP Benedetta Scuderi. “We are determined to continue towards Gaza, despite the siege,” the activists declared, emphasizing the peaceful and self-organized character of the flotilla.
This tense development comes as the flotilla is less than 75 miles off the coast of Gaza, at a symbolic and sensitive moment, just after the end of Yom Kippur. The eyes of the world are already on this operation, which is expected to determine not only the fate of humanitarian aid, but also the future course of the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
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