Israeli occupation regime navy raid Gaza Flotilla's Alma, Sirius ships
4 Min Read
The Gaza solidarity flotilla says Israeli forces boarded ships, seized vessels, and forced aid boats toward Asdod in what it calls an act of piracy.
-
From inside the ship Alma of the Global Resilience Fleet (social media)
The Global Sumud Flotilla issued a statement on Wednesday accusing Israeli occupation forces of carrying out an “illegal interception and act of piracy” against its aid ships bound for Gaza. The flotilla stressed that its destination was the besieged enclave, not Israeli ports, contrary to claims made by the Israeli navy.
According to the statement, onboard cameras were disabled and Israeli soldiers boarded several ships, ordering the flotilla to divert toward the port of occupied Asdod under the pretext of inspecting humanitarian supplies.
Footage circulating on social media shows the Israeli occupation navy vessels intercepting the #GlobalSumudFlotilla boats.#GazaGenocide #Palestine pic.twitter.com/FxAwrIDask
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 1, 2025
The flotilla reported that the Israeli occupation declared a state of emergency on the vessels, jamming communication systems and disabling surveillance cameras. Contact was lost with several ships, while four naval mines were detected nearby, and more than 20 Israeli warships were seen surrounding the flotilla.
Israeli media confirms seizures
Israeli media outlets reported that naval forces boarded multiple boats, seizing the vessels Alma and Sirius and arresting participants on board, citing claims that they were being redirected to occupied Asdod.
In a video circulating online, #ThiagoAvila, a member of the #GlobalSumudFlotilla, is heard as he confronts the Israeli occupation naval forces, invoking international law and demanding they not commit another war crime against a peaceful humanitarian mission to #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/osHfYYk9uG
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 1, 2025
Despite this, the captain of the Alma insisted that the flotilla would continue its journey to Gaza. Meanwhile, the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza said Israeli boats were encircling the ships and announced the activation of an emergency operations room to monitor developments, alongside a solidarity event in Cairo.
Mohammed Qutaish, coordinator of the Dutch delegation, accused Israeli forces of carrying out “intimidation maneuvers” around the flotilla in an effort to spread fear among participants.
Flotilla prepares for worst-case scenario
Members of the Global Sumud Flotilla told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday that their ships are now about 100 miles from Gaza and are expected to reach the blockaded strip's shores at around 5 am, according to international law expert Lina Tabbal.
Tabbal warned that Israeli forces are likely to pursue the flotilla by nightfall, stressing that “worst-case scenarios” remain possible. She said drones have been circling over the ships continuously, and that Israeli forces may attempt to storm the vessels and use stun grenades against activists. Any such action, she added, would constitute “piracy and a violation of international law.”
Flotilla under surveillance
Youssef Ajissa, deputy head of the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza, said the flotilla is now “within a stone’s throw” of waters claimed by the Israeli occupation as a war zone. He described the previous night as “dangerous” for the ships and warned that the coming hours could also bring heightened risks.
The committee’s official account on X confirmed that the flotilla expects to arrive in Gaza within 12 hours, while Al Mayadeen continues to monitor developments closely.
Earlier, the flotilla reported what it called a “serious act of aggression” by Israeli naval forces at dawn on Wednesday. According to the statement, the ship Alma was chased and harassed for several minutes by an Israeli warship, which remotely disabled its communication systems, including the internal closed-circuit broadcast.
