https://www.timesofisrael.com/navy-intercepts-gaza-flotilla-begins-detaining-act...Israel intercepts Gaza flotilla, says blockade not breached; Thunberg, others detained
Navy boards 41 ships in anti-Israel armada after it rejects final call to change course; 400 detainees brought to Israel ahead of deportation; Foreign Ministry: All ‘safe, in good health’
1 October 2025, 11:57 pm Updated: 2 October 2025, 3:51 pm

Israel’s navy intercepted the large flotilla attempting to break its maritime blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, after the military issued a final warning for the pro-Palestinian fleet to change course.
The Israeli Navy operation, which came as the country marked Yom Kippur, began on Wednesday evening and continued overnight and into Thursday.
Over 12 hours, forces of the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit boarded 41 of the ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla, detaining some 400 activists aboard after jamming their signals and spraying them with water cannons. The activists had claimed that 47 boats were involved in the flotilla, but some apparently turned back at earlier stages.
The Navy’s Missile Ship Fleet, Snapir harbor security unit, and other units were involved in intercepting the flotilla. The six largest vessels in the flotilla were boarded first, with the smaller ones being tackled later, according to the military.
Shortly before 2 p.m., Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the “provocation” by the Global Sumud Flotilla “is over,” without any major incidents reported.