Overview

• Israeli naval units boarded multiple vessels about 70–72 nautical miles off Gaza, with at least six boats seized after communications and live feeds from the convoy were disrupted.
• Fast patrol boats and water cannons were used to force stops before teams boarded, as organizers reported broken links between ships and cut signals to shore.
• Italy’s foreign minister said those detained would be taken to the port of Ashdod for identification and then expelled, while defense officials characterized the action as a blockade enforcement.
• The convoy included prominent figures such as Greta Thunberg and several Italian and European lawmakers, with Israeli officials saying high-profile participants were detained and unharmed.
• Mass demonstrations erupted across Italian cities, train services were disrupted in Naples and Pisa, unions called a general strike for October 3, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the flotilla as irresponsible.