The Israeli Navy seized nearly half of a pro-Palestinian aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday (September 2), but organizers say more than 20 remaining boats are still determined to reach the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The confrontation escalated throughout the morning, with Israel intercepting a total of 21 boats from the "Global Sumud Flotilla." As of late morning, a spokesperson for the group said 23 vessels were still sailing, having reached a point about 46 nautical miles from the Gaza coast.

The flotilla, which originally set out with about 44 boats, aims to deliver humanitarian aid and draw global attention to the severe living conditions in Gaza. Israel began stopping the vessels when they were about 70 nautical miles offshore.

"We have around 30 ships that are still fighting their way... to reach the shores of Gaza. They are determined," said flotilla spokesperson Saif Abukeshek.

The activists on board represent a global coalition, with over 201 people from 37 different countries on just the first 13 boats that were stopped. According to Al Jazeera, this included large groups from Spain, Italy, Turkiye, and Malaysia. The presence of well-known figures like climate activist Greta Thunberg among those detained has drawn further international scrutiny.

Israel defends its 15-year naval blockade as a necessary security measure to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, the group that governs Gaza. The policy, however, has drawn sharp condemnation from international leaders and aid agencies, who argue it has crippled Gaza's economy and trapped its 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian crisis.

The activists on the seized boats have been taken to an Israeli port. It remains unclear how many people have been detained in total or what will happen to the remaining boats now heading into a direct standoff with the Israeli military.

BOB Post