Overview

• Israel’s foreign ministry said several boats were stopped without incident and passengers are being taken to an Israeli port for processing and deportation.
• Flotilla organizers reported live feeds cut, communications disabled and multiple vessels boarded after what they described as prior drone attacks and intimidation at sea.
• By Thursday morning, pro-flotilla tracking indicated nearly 30 boats had been intercepted, while organizers said at least 178 people were detained on Wednesday night.
• Brazil deplored the operation and sought consular access for at least ten detained Brazilians including Deputy Luizianne Lins and activist Thiago Ávila, as Spain summoned Israel’s envoy and Turkey condemned the action.
• The Global Sumud mission comprises more than 40 civilian boats with about 500 participants, including Greta Thunberg, and Israel says it warned the group it was approaching an active combat zone and offered to route aid through secure channels.