Enemy boats attacked the “Global Steadfastness Fleet” on Monday, a convoy of approximately 50 vessels that had departed from Turkey and was heading toward the Gaza Strip in an effort to break the blockade imposed on the territory.
A spokesperson for the Steadfastness Fleet stated that enemy forces attacked the vessels in international waters near Cyprus, describing the incident as a “dangerous escalation and a new violation of international law and freedom of maritime navigation.” The spokesperson added that enemy troops seized most of the fleet’s ships, noting that all communication with them had been completely lost.
The fleet includes international solidarity activists from multiple countries and carries a humanitarian and civilian character. Its mission is to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver messages of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The spokesperson expressed serious concerns about the safety of the activists and participants aboard the vessels, particularly given the complete loss of contact following the interception.
Commenting on the attack, Noor Rami Saad, spokesperson for the Steadfastness Fleet activities, described the assault as “blatant recklessness and an open challenge to the will of the international community.” She emphasized that the incident constitutes a clear violation of international law and maritime navigation rules, as well as a direct targeting of purely humanitarian efforts aimed at lifting the blockade on Gaza.
Saad added in a press statement that the attack once again reveals the enemy's repressive nature and its determination to prevent any attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. She warned that international silence regarding the incident provides the Israeli enemy the cover to continue aggressive policies against civilians.
She held Zionist authorities fully responsible for the safety of the fleet’s participants and for any serious consequences resulting from the escalation, calling on international and human rights organizations to take urgent action and hold the Israeli entity accountable for their “repeated crimes.”
Saad stressed that the Steadfastness Fleet would continue its humanitarian mission, affirming that breaking the blockade on Gaza is a “humanitarian and moral duty that cannot be abandoned regardless of the challenges.”
Earlier on Monday, the Global Steadfastness Fleet reported detecting “suspicious” movements by unidentified vessels near its boats as they sailed toward Gaza. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the fleet said that naval ships and fast boats were observed positioning themselves in front of, behind, and alongside the participating vessels shortly after the fleet announced its entry into international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to a tracking system published on the fleet’s official website, the vessels were still approximately 310 nautical miles from the shores of Gaza at the time.
The fleet had set sail last Thursday from the Turkish Mediterranean city of Marmaris, with 54 ships carrying hundreds of activists and supporters from around 70 countries. Participants include members of the Global Steadfastness Fleet’s board of directors, as well as international figures and activists who joined the solidarity campaign for Gaza.
This voyage follows a previous incident in international waters off the island of Crete on April 29, when Zionist enemy forces attacked vessels belonging to the fleet carrying 345 participants from 39 countries. During that incident, 21 boats and around 175 activists were detained, while the remaining vessels continued their journey toward Greek territorial waters.
These initiatives are part of a broader series of international maritime efforts aimed at breaking the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007, amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the territory—particularly following the beginning of the Zionist aggression on October 2023, which resulted in widespread destruction and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
