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  "path": "/partner/gaza-flotilla-activists-kidnapped-israel",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-30T10:55:49.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nOrganizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said Thursday that Israel's army had kidnapped 211 activists, including a Paris city councilor, in a raid on their Gaza-bound convoy in international waters off the Greek island of Crete.\n\nIsrael's foreign ministry put the number of those detained at 175, saying 20 ships were \"now making their way peacefully to Israel.\" The operation took place at what organizers described as an \"unprecedented\" distance from Israel.\n\n#### What happened to the Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel?\n\nIsrael boarded and seized vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Crete on Thursday. Organizers say 211 activists were detained, while Israel's foreign ministry counted 175 arrests across 20 ships. Those intercepted included Paris Communist municipal councillor Raphaelle Primet and at least 10 other French nationals, according to flotilla spokeswoman Helene Coron.\n\nCoron said the boats carried delegates from all 48 national delegations in the convoy. \"We don't have the information for the other nationalities, but the boats were mixed in terms of nationality,\" she said. Activist Yasmine Scola, who was aboard one of the vessels, said her colleagues had been \"kidnapped\" by Israel.\n\n#### Who organised the Gaza flotilla and what was it carrying?\n\nThe Global Sumud Flotilla organised the convoy, which set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy. The flotilla comprised 58 boats carrying pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break Israel's blockade on Gaza. Scola said her ship was carrying school supplies and food.\n\nIsrael's foreign ministry derisively referred to the mission as a \"condom flotilla\" after prophylactics were found in a previous convoy. At least 22 of the 58 boats had been stormed by Israeli forces by 06:30 Paris time on Thursday, according to a statement from the flotilla. The remaining vessels were positioned near Crete, according to live tracking on the organization's website.\n\n#### How did Israel intercept the Gaza flotilla near Crete?\n\nOvernight from Wednesday to Thursday, the flotilla reported that its boats had been illegally surrounded by Israeli military vessels. \"Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as Israel, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,\" the organization said. It added that boat communications were being jammed and that an SOS had been issued.\n\nA Greek coastguard source told AFP it had responded to a distress signal from the flotilla, but found no assistance was needed once its patrol boat reached the area. The operation drew immediate condemnation from flotilla organizers, who called it a violation of international law. Israel has not commented on the legal basis for intercepting vessels in international waters at that distance from its coast.\n\n#### What happened to the previous Gaza flotilla in 2025?\n\nThe Global Sumud Flotilla made its first voyage across the Mediterranean toward Gaza in the summer and autumn of 2025, drawing worldwide attention. Israeli forces intercepted those boats off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October 2025. Organizers and Amnesty International described the operation as illegal, and it drew international condemnation.\n\nCrew members arrested in that operation, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were subsequently expelled by Israel. The current flotilla represents the organization's second attempt to reach Gaza by sea. Israel controls all entry points to the territory and has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of restricting the flow of goods into Gaza.\n\n#### What is the situation in Gaza and why does the blockade matter?\n\nIsrael has maintained a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, when Hamas took control of the territory. The war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel has caused severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire was reached last October after two years of conflict.\n\nHamas's October 2023 attack killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures compiled by AFP. Israeli military operations carried out in retaliation have killed more than 72,000 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.",
  "title": "Gaza flotilla organizers say 211 activists kidnapped by Israel in international waters raid"
}