Gaza-bound flotilla says it has entered ‘danger zone’ near Israel

“We have now entered the high-risk zone, the area where previous flotillas have been attacked and/or intercepted,” the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on its Telegram channel.

Greta Thunberg (right) on board the flotilla

(Photo: REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis)

The flotilla, named “Sumud” — Arabic for “steadfastness” — set sail from Barcelona last month in a bid to “break the blockade” imposed by Israel on Gaza. It is expected to approach the region as early as Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

Israeli officials say the mission is being met with the highest level of preparedness, involving Navy units and other security branches. A special task force of the military, Shin Bet security service, police and the Foreign Ministry has been set up to coordinate from a joint operations center through the holiday.

The flotilla includes about 50 vessels and some 500 activists, among them Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg. It is being escorted by Italian and Spanish naval ships, adding diplomatic complications to Israel’s operational planning.

Israel has warned organizers the ships will not be permitted to dock in Gaza. Instead, it has offered an alternative: deliver humanitarian cargo to the Israeli port of Ashdod, from where it could be transferred to Gaza through established channels. Hospitals along Israel’s coast have also been instructed to prepare to treat activists if necessary.

Officials stress that Israel wants to avoid escalation but is preparing for all scenarios given the flotilla’s scale. A senior official said the operation was “far more complex” than previous encounters, such as the interception of the smaller Madleen boat in June.

The Diaspora Affairs Ministry has linked the flotilla to Hamas, though Israeli officials acknowledge most participants are peace activists. “This isn’t the Mavi Marmara,” one official said, referring to the deadly 2010 raid on a Turkish-led flotilla. “But the risk of weapons or provocations cannot be ruled out.”

Israel is also working diplomatically to avoid direct confrontation with European naval vessels. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged the flotilla to stand down, warning it could endanger a U.S. peace initiative. “Any other choice risks becoming a tool to derail peace, fuel the conflict and ultimately harm the very people in Gaza it claims to help,” she wrote on X.

Israeli officials have dismissed the flotilla as a “provocation designed to serve Hamas,” and plan to intercept the vessels at sea, bring activists to shore and deport them promptly.