Saturday, May 2, 2026 2:53 pm –
Jerusalem time
Today, Saturday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the transfer of activists from the “Global Resilience Fleet” designated to break the siege on the Gaza Strip to interrogation centers inside the occupied territories. This step came after the occupation army carried out a military interception of the fleet ship last Thursday while it was sailing off the Greek coast. The occupation authorities claim that the detainees will be investigated for links to banned organizations and activities they describe as illegal.
The sources revealed that the two detained activists are the Spanish Saif Abu Kishk, whom Tel Aviv accuses of leading the ‘Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad’, and the Brazilian activist Thiago Avila. They were referred to law enforcement authorities to complete security investigations, in light of ongoing Israeli efforts to prevent any naval aid convoys from reaching the residents of the Gaza Strip who are suffering from a severe siege.
Field reports indicate that the Al-Samoud fleet was subjected to violent aggression in international waters in the Mediterranean, as the occupation forces used seven warships and drones to control the convoys. The attack resulted in about 31 activists being injured with varying injuries, after the occupation forces cut off all internet and communication services from the ships before suddenly storming them 1,500 kilometers from the coast.
Operations to intercept ships in international waters are a flagrant violation of freedom of navigation and humanitarian conventions that guarantee relief to besieged civilians.
According to activists’ testimonies, the occupation detained between 180 and 211 international activists on board a war destroyer, part of which was converted into a ‘floating prison’ for three days. Those released described the conditions inside the destroyer as inhumane, as they were subjected to beatings, sleep deprivation, and constant abuse, before 59 of them were deported to Istanbul airport and another group to the Greek island of Crete, while the Spanish and Brazilian activists were kept in detention.
It is noteworthy that the Global Resilience Fleet includes more than 20 boats loaded with necessary medical and food aid, and is completely devoid of any signs of armament, as its participants, including human rights activists and internationals, aim to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. These Israeli measures face widespread international human rights criticism, as they represent a violation of the conventions that guarantee freedom of navigation and the arrival of humanitarian relief to the stricken areas.
