Israel Has Intercepted the Gaza Aid Flotilla. What’s Happened So Far?

05:51 GMT+1/07:51 GMT+3

As the sun rose in Gaza, the Global Sumud Flotilla was still being intercepted, 12 hours after it was first heard Israeli boats were approaching.

Organisers have confirmed 21 of their 41 vessels have been intercepted so far, but Novara Media believes the real figure is higher than this, with many other boats suspected of having been boarded or in a communication blackout.

The fleet’s largest boats, which carried most organisers and big names, were boarded and detained on Wednesday evening. But for most of the night, around 30 smaller boats continued sailing, with some disobeying orders to stop and being attacked with water cannons for not turning off their engines.

Just after 19:00 local time, GMT+3, Novara Media contributor Kieran Andrieu reported that he was being told by people on board his boat, Adara, that 10 to 12 military vessels were rapidly approaching. Organisers did not confirm this, but instead steering committee activist Thiago Ávila said there was “a huge concentration of vessels” seven to 20 miles away, and he believed this was an Israeli military blockade.

Around an hour later, boats arrived in the area. Andrieu reported being sprayed with liquid, having bright lights shone in his face, and being shouted at by Israeli soldiers. Commandos boarded at around 21:46 local time, after first detaining those on lead boat Alma and deputy Sirius. Andrieu threw his phone in the sea while live-streaming at 21:47 GMT+3.

Although some were picked off, smaller boats then seemed to be able to evade interception for several hours, and were making decisive progress towards Gaza at 04:00 GMT+3 on Thursday. For a while, people on board seemed optimistic, telling Novara Media they were “cruising to Gaza”. Many sailed further than the Handala, which was intercepted in July at around 60 nautical miles out.

But things took a turn just before dawn. Ohwayla, the veterans’ boat, posted a video of an enormous Israeli warship spraying people on board with what journalist Greg Stoker identified as skunk water – a putrid liquid developed by Israel to repel protesters. Shortly afterwards, all contact with Ohwayla was lost.

As dawn approached, it became apparent that organisers were not in consistent communication with many boats. At the time of writing, 19 were not online.

Information continues to trickle in. One vessel, Mikeno, appears to have entered territorial waters before being intercepted. Organisers say at least one other boat reached just 27 nautical miles from Gaza. But interceptions are happening thick and fast. It does not seem like the flotilla will reach Gaza.