On October 1st (Wednesday) local time, the "Global Sumud Fleet" composed of 50 ships and 500 activists was sailing towards the Gaza waters, and Swedish environmental girl Greta Thunberg also accompanied the ship.
According to the Associated Press and AFP, the flotilla was carrying a small amount of symbolic aid. The core goal was to break Israel's blockade of the coastal areas of Gaza and convey support to the Palestinian people. The flotilla has now entered the "danger zone" designated by Israel and is facing the risk of being intercepted.
Members of the "Global Sumud Fleet" recalled that late at night on September 30 (Tuesday) local time, two Israeli warships approached the "Alma" and "Sirius" in the fleet and carried out a close detour. and interfere with onboard communications and live broadcast signals.
The confrontation did not last long, with Israeli warships subsequently evacuated, and the fleet resumed navigation and resumed live broadcasts of some of the ships, synchronizing the dynamics of the journey to the outside world.
Activist Lisi Proença described it as: “Israeli warships suddenly appeared, sailed around us, and camera signals interrupted.
Navy spokesman and Operation Representative Thiago Ávila revealed at an online conference on Wednesday that the navy is currently sailing in international waters, located in the northern waters of Egypt, and is gradually approaching the coast of Gaza, scheduled to arrive in Gaza early Thursday morning.
He said: "Every nautical mile we move forward, we speak out for the people of Gaza."
He also said: "Based on Israel's past experience of intercepting similar operations many times, it is unlikely that it will arrive smoothly. We are ready to deal with Israel's obstruction at any time."
Total military preparation.
Faced with the movement of the flotilla, Israel has launched a comprehensive response. Israel's Channel 12 News confirmed that Israel has deployed 600 police and multiple naval forces, and has set up a special court in Kiziot Prison to deal with possible arrest of flotilla members.
A senior Israeli police officer said: “This is a sensitive and complex operation, and we are prepared to respond to all kinds of provocations at sea.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gidoun Sal publicly stated: "This flotilla is by no means a humanitarian action, but a dangerous provocation aimed at intensifying regional tensions and undermining the diplomatic process."
Israel also released a document on Tuesday (30 September) accusing the fleet organizers of having links with Hamas through the “Overseas Palestinian Conference (PCPA)” Israel said that the PCPA established in Turkey in 2017 has been listed as a terrorist organization, which is essentially the Hamas’ overseas operating agency.
Various positions are now divided
At the international level, the attitudes of different countries to the actions of the fleet are markedly different.
The two countries, Spain and Italy, which have previously escorted the fleet for part of the flight, have now changed their positions, calling on activists to "immediately return" and avoid direct conflict with the Israeli army.
Italy issued a direct warning to the flotilla organizers, saying that "crossing the 'danger zone' will be regarded as hostile by Israel."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on social platforms: "Aid supplies can be delivered through safe channels. Whether deliberately or not, they are providing assistance to the forces that undermine the ceasefire. If the goal is to intensify conflicts, don't talk about the so-called 'peace morality'; if you really care about the people of Gaza, don't use them as political chips."
Meloni also noted that Israel was closely monitoring the incident, fearing that the fleet's operation would interfere with the peace plan for Gaza promoted by U.S. President Trump.
It is understood that the 20-point peace plan launched by the United States on Monday (September 29) is seen as a key pathway to “end the war in Gaza and liberate Israeli hostages,” and the appearance of the fleet could turn the public focus back to “confrontation” and disrupt the former diplomatic rhythm.
Unlike the European and U.S. approach, the Turkish side has shown a position of “observing and potentially intervening”.The Turkish official said that it is currently monitoring the movement of the fleet through drones and does not rule out providing assistance based on humanitarian principles.