Israel controls all entrances to the Gaza Strip and faces accusations from the UN and NGOs of blocking the supply of goods.
On Thursday, the Israeli Navy detained around 175 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla who were sailing to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid. TASR informs about it according to AFP reports.
“Approximately 175 activists from more than 20 ships … are now peacefully moving to Israel,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement, along with a video of activists aboard an Israeli navy ship.
Vessels detained off Crete
The Times of Israel (TOI) reported that the navy detained 21 of a total of 58 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla near the Greek island of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles off the Israeli coast, overnight. In recent weeks, the vessels of the fleet set sail from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy.
Israel controls all entry points to the Gaza Strip. The United Nations and several foreign non-governmental organizations have repeatedly accused him of impeding the flow of goods to the Palestinian territory.
Already last October, activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative tried to break through the Israeli blockade and deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. However, Israel detained them and subsequently deported them from the country.
