Israel prepares to intercept the Gaza humanitarian flotilla as it approaches the coast of Gaza

On Monday, the Global Sumud Flotilla sailing to break the siege on Gaza announced that it was only a few days away from reaching the shores of the Strip. It confirmed that its ships would enter the “high-risk zone” within two days.

Humanitarian flotilla nearing the shores of the Gaza Strip

The Global Sumud Flotilla, a component of the international coalition, said on its Instagram page that:

Our lead vessels, OHWAYLA & ALL IN, are now just 366 nautical miles from Gaza, with an estimated arrival in 3 to 4 days.

The statement explained that:

Our fleet now stands at 44 vessels, strengthened by the recent launch of two new boats sailing towards the fleet.

It added:

In just two days, the flotilla will enter the high-risk zone. Our determination is absolute, but this is the moment where your global vigilance and solidarity are needed most.

The fleet continued, saying:

Join us. Stop the Genocide. Keep your eyes on Gaza.

In this context, the official Israel state channel Kan reported on Sunday that Israel is preparing to intercept the ships coming as part of the international flotilla, in a move that could repeat the scene of the takeover of the ships Madleen and Handala in June and July.

Israel making military preparations to intercept the flotilla

This comes amid Israel’s military preparations to intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla. The Israeli broadcaster said that the naval commando unit had carried out field exercises in recent days, allegedly to:

minimize harm to participants while taking control of ships at sea.

On Friday, the Maghreb fleet revealed that unidentified military aircraft had flown over its ships for the second time in a week while in Greek territorial waters.

Dozens of ships have been sailing towards Gaza for days, loaded with vital humanitarian aid, especially medical supplies, in an attempt to break the 18-year Israeli blockade. On board these ships are more than 500 activists and solidarity supporters from 40 countries, and multiple continents.

This is the first time that dozens of ships have sailed together toward Gaza, at a time when the 2.4 million residents of the Strip are experiencing a suffocating humanitarian disaster. Israel has tightened its blockade since 2 March by closing all crossings and preventing food, medicine, and aid from entering, exacerbating the famine despite the accumulation of relief trucks at the border.

Feature image via Al Jazeera/Youtube.