Extract from ABC News
In short:
Organisers of a Gaza-bound flotilla say they have been intercepted by the Israeli navy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pictured watching the interception operation.
One international law expert says the blockade of Gaza should concern countries like Australia.
The organisers of a flotilla of ships trying to break Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza say Israel's navy has intercepted the vessels off the coast of Cyprus.
There are more than 50 ships in the flotilla and 11 Australians are said to be among the crews.
The Global Sumud Flotilla's organisers say their names are Anny Mokotow, Dr Bianca Pullman-Webb, Neve O'Connor, Violet Coco, Gemma O'Toole, Sam Woripa Watson, Zack Schofield, Helen O'Sullivan, Juliet Lamont, Isla Lamont and Surya McEwan.
Live tracking data provided by the flotilla showed at least 27 ships had been intercepted by late on Monday afternoon.
Australians Sam Woripa Watson (left) and Anny Mokotow (middle) who are crew members of the flotilla. (Supplied: Global Sumud Flotilla)
One of the Australians on board, Juliet Lamont, was a member of the group who tried to breach the blockade in October last year.
She said it had been a quiet night of sailing before the Israeli navy approach on Monday morning, local time.
"It's all on now," Ms Lamont said in a video distributed by flotilla supporters in Australia.
"You never know the minute when the Israelis decide that 'yeah, let's f*** over some ordinary people,' 500 of them, who have got a whole load of baby food in boats trying to break their illegal siege in international waters.
"Here we are in international waters, and our governments are completely failing us. Do everything that you can to keep us safe.
"If we get put in that f***ing hellhole in Ketziot [prison] again, make sure our governments advocate on our behalf and get us out of there and end this genocide and free Palestine."
Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported lawyers for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked to cancel a scheduled appearance in court for his long-running corruption trial on Monday for security reasons, which the network said was to watch the flotilla interceptions from the Israeli Defense Forces's (IDF's) headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Mr Netanyahu's office later released a video of him watching the operation, and speaking to the commander of the Israeli forces leading the interceptions.
He said they were "essentially thwarting a malicious plan designed to break through the isolation we are imposing on the Hamas terrorists in Gaza".
"You are doing it with great success, and I must say also quietly, and certainly less conspicuously than our enemies expected, and therefore congratulations from the bottom of my heart," he said.
"Keep going until the end. The water looks simply wonderful."
An Israeli vessel approaches the flotilla. (Supplied: Global Sumud Flotilla)
Last month the Israeli military intercepted another flotilla of ships in international waters off the Greek island of Crete, detained the crews and damaged some of the ships, which the flotilla organisers described as an act of piracy on the high seas.
Most were later dropped off in Greece, including three of the Australians who have since joined this latest flotilla.
But two of the most prominent crew members were taken to Israel on allegations of being involved in a terrorist organisation and illegal activity.
Brazilian Thiago Avila and Spaniard Saif Abu Keshek were later released from prison, and their lawyers accused Israel of abuse while in custody — claims Israeli authorities denied.
Israel 'will not allow breach of blockade'
In a post on social media earlier in the day, Israel's foreign ministry said the country would "not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza" and described the actions of the flotilla as "a provocation for the sake of provocation".
The flotilla movement has insisted the measures are vital to highlight the humanitarian crisis facing the population in Gaza and Israel's cruel policies against Palestinians.
Israel has repeatedly criticised efforts to break the blockade as being more about garnering global attention for the activists on board than delivering meaningful aid to the people of Gaza.
An Israeli warship photographed by a crew member of the flotilla. (Supplied: Global Sumud Flotilla)
This is the fourth group in recent months to try to sail to Gaza.
In May last year, a group reported a drone attack against ships near Malta.
A few months later, the Israeli navy intercepted a group off the coast of Egypt — among them Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
Those activists were forced to watch videos of Hamas's horrific attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, when they arrived in Israel, and they were later taken to a prison near the Israel–Egypt border.
The Australians in that group reported being beaten and mistreated by Israeli authorities while behind bars.
The maritime blockade of Gaza has been in place for almost two decades, well before the current conflict in the strip began.
One United Nations inquiry found the measures were unlawful, while another found it was legal to protect Israel's security.
A screenshot of a video shared by the Global Sumud Flotilla, which organisers say shows Israeli military preparing to intercept the fleet. (X: Global Sumud Flotilla)
Don Rothwell, professor of international law at the Australian National University, said a blockade was a "legitimate act of naval warfare", and cited the current US operation in the Strait of Hormuz against Iran as an example of that.
But he said the decision by many countries, including Australia, to recognise Palestinian statehood changed the equation.
"Absent an armed conflict, Israel's previous position was that the blockade was a legitimate security measure against Gaza due to the threat posed by Hamas," Professor Rothwell said.
"An exception to the imposition of a blockade exists for the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of the blockaded state.
"There is no international armed conflict between Israel and the independent State of Palestine — though of course Israel refuses to recognise such an independent state.
"As such, any attempt to enforce the blockade off the coast of Cyprus has no legal basis under international law."
He said the incident should be of concern for a country like Australia, given its public positions demanding freedom of navigation in places like the South China Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
"The IDF conduct is an example of extraterritorial law enforcement of Israel's blockade within the maritime zone of Cyprus or on the high seas, which is a violation of the freedom of navigation which the vessels that make up the Global Sumud Flotilla enjoy," Professor Rothwell said.
Flotilla participant calls on prime minister
Ethan Floyd, a Global Sumud Flotilla participant who has returned to Australia after last month's interception, called on the Albanese government to condemn these acts.
"This is now the second time Israel has illegally abducted Australian citizens in international waters, and our government has said nothing," he said.
"It is not a radical act to attempt to deliver food, water and medicine to a starving population. In fact, it is a desperately reasonable act.
"The Albanese government must condemn the kidnapping of its citizens by a foreign country.
"And it must follow that condemnation with real sanctions, political and economic, on the rogue state of Israel."
The ABC has asked Foreign Minister Penny Wong and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment about the developing situation.
The IDF is refusing to comment about the interception mission, directing all enquiries to the country's foreign ministry.
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