'Israel' raids, hijacks new Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Freedom Flotilla Coalition + Israeli media
Today 08:24
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Israeli forces raid multiple humanitarian flotillas on October 8, including nine vessels carrying aid and international activists.

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CCTV footage shows the Gaza Sunbird being raided by Israeli occupation's navy in international waters, off the coasts of occupied Palestine and Egypt, on October 8, 2025. (Freedom Flotilla Coalition)

Israeli occupation forces raided multiple humanitarian flotillas on October 8, 2025, attempting to reach the besieged Gaza Strip, as part of the ongoing Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) campaign organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG).

The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters. Our flotilla poses no harm. We carry vital aid worth over $110,000 USD in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies that were destined for Gaza's starving hospitals. Tag your politicians… pic.twitter.com/OUSNnUAOJi
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@GlobalSumud) October 8, 2025

The latest raid took place approximately 120 nautical miles (220 km) from Gaza, with civilian vessels carrying doctors, journalists, elected officials, and vital aid, including medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies worth over $110,000.

The flotilla activists reported that nine boats were hijacked within an hour: Abd Elkarim Eid, Alaa Al-Najar, Anas Al-Sharif, Conscience, Gaza Sunbird, Leila Khaled, Milad, Soul of My Soul, and Um Saad.

The vessel Conscience was the last vessel to be raided by Israeli occupation forces after diverting from the rest of the convoy toward Egyptian shores.

It is worth noting that all vessels were illegally raided in international waters.

Israeli response

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the journey of the aid flotilla was “another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade and enter a combat zone,” asserting on social media that “the vessels and the passengers are transferred to an Israeli port.”

The Ministry claimed that all passengers were in good health and were expected to be “deported promptly".

The statement followed last week’s hijacking of over 40 vessels forming the GSF, the largest flotilla to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which included 479 activists from around the world.

Flotilla organizers condemn 'Israel'

The FFC and TMTG condemned the raids as a violation of international law. “Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” said David Heap, of the Canadian Boat to Gaza and the FFC Steering Committee.

“This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” he added.

The coalition highlighted that the attacks follow the illegal seizure and detention of the GSF, Handala, and Madleen, as well as a prior Israeli drone strike on the vessel Conscience in European waters, which damaged it.

“These repeated attacks on unarmed civilians demonstrate Israel’s deliberate escalation and the total failure of governments to enforce international law,” the statement said.

The Global Sumud Flotilla campaign

The latest flotilla is part of a broader international effort to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge the illegal Israeli siege imposed on the Strip. Previous missions, including the 2010 Mavi Marmara, the Global Sumud Flotilla earlier in October 2025, and other coordinated campaigns, have consistently faced complete and aggressive Israeli military obstruction. Activists continue to organize maritime convoys despite repeated raids, asserting the right to deliver aid independently of Israeli diktats.

These missions coincide with a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where restrictions on food, medicine, and essential supplies have created widespread hunger and malnutrition. Humanitarian agencies warn that hundreds of thousands of residents are facing acute food insecurity, with famine declared in some regions, exacerbated by "Israel’s" blockade.