Overview

• The Global Sumud Flotilla is sailing in international waters roughly 300–350 nautical miles from Gaza and expects to reach the interception area within two to four days, according to participants.
• Italy has deployed the frigate Alpino on a search‑and‑rescue mandate and placed a naval liaison in its crisis unit, stressing it will not assist any attempt to force the blockade.
• President Isaac Herzog told Italian interlocutors that Israel will block the convoy but has instructed forces to avoid lethal force, with past boardings cited as precedent for interdictions in international waters.
• A Vatican‑backed proposal to offload cargo in Cyprus for transfer under the Latin Patriarchate remains on the table and has been rejected by flotilla organizers, who say their mission is both humanitarian and political.
• Organizers report drone monitoring and technical issues, including a motor failure on the vessel Johnny M that prompted a Turkish Red Crescent evacuation, as media note defections and transparency disputes within the roughly 530‑person effort.