Israel Dismantles Gaza Humanitarian Flotilla, But One Boat Sails On
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Israeli regime’s military has largely dismantled a humanitarian flotilla seeking to break its siege on Gaza, arresting hundreds of activists from dozens of vessels, but one yacht continues to plough onwards towards the Palestinian enclave.
As of the early hours of Friday morning, the Polish-flagged Marinette, which reportedly has a crew of six, is the last remaining operational vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla – once a 44-strong fleet.
Speaking via video call with flotilla organizers late on Thursday, the Australian captain, who identified himself only as Cameron, explained that the boat initially had engine issues and was therefore lagging behind the main group. The vessel is now “steaming” towards Gaza, Cameron added.
“We have a bunch of very tough Turks onboard… we’ve got a lady from Oman and myself, and we’re just going to continue in the direction,” he said, Al Jazeera reported.
A live video feed of the yacht, active as of 04:00 GMT, shows the crew steering the ship as the sun rises behind them in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.
A live geo tracker shows the ship located some 43 nautical miles (about 80 km) from Gaza’s territorial waters.
The Israeli regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously warned the Marinette that “its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented”.
Since Wednesday, the Zionist regime’s naval forces have stopped dozens of boats carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza and detained about 500 activists from more than 40 countries.
The Israeli regime previously accused the volunteers of trying to “breach a lawful naval blockade” – a claim that goes against international law – and said it would do whatever it takes to stop them.
Israel’s navy has intercepted each boat and detained its crew before transferring them to the occupied territories, from where they will be deported. Several high-profile figures – including activist Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, and Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan – are among those being held.
As the largest naval aid mission yet to attempt to deliver supplies to the Palestinian enclave, the flotilla has garnered global attention, and the seizure of the boats has been met with global condemnation and sparked protests worldwide.
