Middle East Crisis Protests

All activist boats have been stopped by Israel

All around 50 boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla convoy have now been stopped from reaching Gaza, Israel's Foreign Ministry said on X. The country's military began boarding the ships on Wednesday evening.

For a while, one of the boats appeared to have reached Gaza's territorial waters according to the convoy's position map, but according to Israel, only one boat remains further away.

"If it approaches, its attempts to enter an active combat zone and break the blockade will also be prevented," the Foreign Ministry wrote, calling the activists "Hamas Sumud passengers."

Those on board the boarded ships have been detained and will be deported to Europe when they arrive in Israel.

Calls Israel's top diplomat after the boarding

Spain's Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, has summoned Israel's top diplomat in the country after the boardings of the Gaza convoy, reports El País.

The Foreign Minister is said to have conveyed the message that the Spanish citizens in the convoy "do not pose any threat to Israel or anyone else".

The British government has also reacted strongly, saying that it is "very concerned about the situation", writes Sky News.

"We are in contact with the families of a number of British citizens who are involved", states the Foreign Office.

The Turkish government condemns Israel's actions as an "act of terrorism" and has launched an investigation into the 24 Turkish citizens who are now being held in Israeli custody, reports TT.

Israel: Activists are well – to be deported to Europe

Activists from the Gaza convoy who were detained by Israel are now on their way to Israel by boat, according to the country's Foreign Ministry. From there, deportation processes to Europe will begin, according to a post on X.

The boat trip is "peaceful and safe" and the passengers are well, according to the ministry, which also publishes photos of, among others, Greta Thunberg leaning against life jackets on a boat.

According to the Global Sumud Flotilla convoy, most of the activists' boats have not been boarded by the Israeli military and are continuing their journey towards the Gaza coast. According to the monitoring service Flotilla Tracker, one of the ships, under the name Mikeno, is in Gaza Strip territory. It is unclear whether Israeli forces have intervened, writes Al Jazeera.