On Wednesday, an international flotilla transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza reported tense encounters with Israeli naval vessels. The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla reported that Israeli warships used intimidatory maneuvers and disrupted navigation and communication systems as the convoy neared the blockaded enclave. Two ships, Alma and Sirius, were surrounded, as confirmed by those involved, with video showing a military ship on the approach of Sirius. The flotilla is carrying food and medical supplies and contains approximately 500 activists representing more than 40 nations. Italy and Spain have dispatched ships to check on the situation and insisted that they would not intervene militarily.
The incident highlights the mounting international pressures on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the decades-old naval blockade of Israel.