Overview

• The Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces boarded the Marinette at 10:29 a.m. local time roughly 42.5 nautical miles from Gaza.
• Israeli authorities reported 473 detainees from the flotilla, confirmed the first four deportations involving Italian citizens, and said others are being processed after transfers through Ashdod to Ktziot prison.
• The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says a second wave of nine sailing vessels departed from Italian ports and is now near Crete heading toward Gaza.
• Protests surged across European cities demanding the release of detainees and an end to the blockade, while the U.S. labeled the voyage a “deliberate provocation” and said it is providing consular support.
• The operations have triggered a legal dispute, with critics arguing the interceptions occurred in Egypt’s EEZ or on the high seas in violation of maritime law, as Israel cites blockade enforcement and a declared combat zone.