Israel Smashes Boats, Strands and Kidnaps Flotilla Activists Near Greece

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) was attacked last night by warships, drones and speedboats full of heavily-armed Israeli commandos, despite sailing just off the coast of Greece, more than 500 nautical miles from Gaza. 

Of 57 boats at sea, 22 are believed to have been intercepted in the attack, which began at around 11 pm local time (GMT+3). 35 others escaped interception, with many sailing into Greek territorial waters. 

Around 170 participants are believed to have been detained, and are likely being taken to Israel – several days sail away. Others were left stranded at sea, their boats heavily damaged, unable to communicate with organisers or the coastguard and in the path of an oncoming storm. In a statement, GSF described their situation as “a calculated death trap”. 

“After smashing engines and destroying navigation arrays, the military retreated – intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm,” the group said. 

There have been some reports of “extreme violence” against participants, although Novara Media has not yet been able to confirm this. In October 2025, many flotilla activists were severely beaten during interception or in Israeli detention, so violence would not be without precedent. 

Organisers initially assumed that all intercepted participants had been detained. Many activists posted pre-recorded videos to their Instagram accounts saying they had been taken hostage. But with systems down and phones thrown overboard, it is possible some are actually adrift and unable to communicate.

Brazilian activist and flotilla leader Thiago Avila posted an SOS video at around 7am GMT+3, saying that the mission had either been intercepted or attacked by Israel.

In October, the IDF pirated flotilla boats and sailed them back to Ashdod with participants still on board – but Israeli commandos reportedly found this challenging because they became seasick and didn’t know how to sail. The journey then was only hours long; this time it will last several days.

While Israel has illegally intercepted dozens of past flotillas in international waters, including the last GSF mission in autumn 2025, the distance from Gaza and proximity to Europe this time is unprecedented, with many asking how European governments could allow it to happen.

UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said on Instagram that the attack should send “shock waves across Europe”.

“Alarm! How on earth is [it] possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/ Europe?” she wrote.

Several British participants were among those detained or targeted, including activist Kelsey Mohamed – although it was confirmed this morning that her boat escaped interception, despite losing contact with organisers. Supporters are asking the British public to call the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the British embassy in Greece, and the Greek embassy in London to urge them to act.

30/04/2026: This piece was amended shortly after publication to clarify that around 170 participants are believed to have been detained, but that Kelsey Mohamed was not.