Israeli military boats travelled more than 700 miles on Wednesday night to attack a 54-ship flotilla that was headed for Gaza to attempt to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade, Ann Wright reports.
Some boats of Global Sumud Flotilla at dock in Augusta, Sicily, Italy, earlier this month. (Ann Wright)
By Ann Wright
in Siracusa, Sicily, Italy
On Wednesday evening Israeli naval forces attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) to Gaza.
An unknown number of Israeli military ships went over 700 miles to attack the 54-ship flotilla that was headed for Gaza.
It was attempting to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade and to bring worldwide attention to the continuing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza; the Israeli ethnic cleansing of the West Bank; the destruction and occupation of southern Lebanon and the attacks on Iran.
Twenty-one boats were attacked by Israeli naval forces about 80 nautical miles west of the Greek island of Crete in international waters.
One hundred seventy nine participants from 33 countries were taken against their will from boats that were damaged by Israeli naval forces and put onto a commercial cargo ship that may arrive at the Israeli port of Ashdod around Saturday.
They were not intercepted. They were abducted in international waters.
This is piracy – and is a flagrant violation of international law. https://t.co/XExBiLDtif
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 30, 2026
We anticipate that they will be processed at a dock facility in Ashdod, then transported to an Israeli prison and in three-to-five days be deported from the country with a 10-100 year ban on returning to Israel.
That means that one cannot get to the West Bank for actions in solidarity with Palestinians who are under attack by Zionist Israeli settlers who steal Palestinian land and animals and burn Palestinian houses and cars.
Fifteen U.S. citizens were among the 179 that were kidnapped by Israeli forces.
ALARM!
How on earth is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe? Besides what you can think of Apartheid Israel and its genocidal leaders, this should send shock waves across Europe.Apartheid without borders. https://t.co/OELJPX9Hf8
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) April 30, 2026
Thirty two flotilla boats remain afloat although many were damaged by Israeli naval forces and may be forced into ports on the large Greek island of Crete for repairs. No doubt the Israeli naval forces will be lurking like sharks in the waters off Crete waiting for the small boats to come out.
Four More Boats in Siracusa
I am in Siracusa, Sicily, with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and its four boats, two of which came from the Thousand Madleens organization.
The FFC has been sailing boats to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza since 2010 with over 35 boats sailed in the years from 2008-2025.
Last year, 2025, was a remarkable year for international citizen solidarity with Palestine.
In July the Madleen sailboat sailed to break the Siege of Gaza, followed by the 3,000-plus-person Global Sumud Land Convoy through Egypt, Libya and Tunisa, followed by the FFC ship Handala sailing to break the blockade, followed by the 42-boat Global Sumud Flotilla, followed by the FFC Conscience ship that sailed with eight boats of the “Thousand Madleens.”
Actions Against US Complicity in Israeli Genocide of Gaza
Flotilla Members being abducted on high seas by Israel on Thursday. (Global Flotilla handout)
As a U.S. citizen in opposition to U.S. government complicity in Israeli attacks on Gaza, no matter which political party is in power, I have been a part of the flotilla movement since 2010 as a participant, including the large ship Mavi Marmara, on which Israeli soldiers killed 10 people and wounded 50.
All six ships in that flotilla were attacked by Israeli naval forces and participants were assaulted, taken to Israel, imprisoned and ultimately deported.
The Flotilla will continue to sail boats until the genocide of Gaza ends and the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza is broken.
Ann Wright served in the U.S. Army/Army Reserves for 29 years and retired as a colonel. She was also a U.S. diplomat for 16 years and served in U.S. embassies in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. She is the co-author of Dissent: Voices of Conscience. She has been with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition since 2010, has been put in Israeli prison twice for attempting to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade on Gaza and has been on segments of flotillas in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2024.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
Flotillas to Gaza, check. Flotillas to Cuba, check. Hmm. When do the flotillas to Lebanon, Venezuela and the Strait of Hormuz begin? How about we fix the problems where they begin? Which country began this recent wave of piracy in international waters?
The bitter truth is that Netanyahu is real and Captain Nemo is fiction. Because a latter day version of the good Captain is badly needed in Mediterranean waters.
Sí, mientras los malos vientos arrecian, las velas aguantan y las quillas continuan cortando el mar hacia su destino: GAZA.
“I am the very model of a modern major genera…”, from the Gilbert & Sullivan opera “Pirates of Pensance.”
These Israeli pirates are real pirates who are getting away with piracy on the high seas. They are brutes and have killed innocent people in the past. Trump and his pirates are also getting away with doing illegal things. The U.S. Congress is in support of these pirates and are doing nothing. I would bet that very few of then know this piracy.
Ah, humanity!
I love Crazy Horsey’s image of the “decent” countries (as though many) embracing as a buffer zone the humanitarian boats heading to Gaza. ” (*The genocidal state)having to fight off every navy in the world …”What a sight for sore eyes that goodness, compassion and courage would be!
And where is the UN while this piracy in international waters goes on and on? Nowhere. What a joke that institution turned out to be. May as well abolish it and start a new global institution of peace in the global south somewhere. The criminal cabal backing Israel’s crimes must be dismantled. Humanity cannot continue to tolerate more of this murderous regime and its backers. Free Palestine!
Right on! Lois Gagnon! The world’s fingers must constantly -relentlessly, tirelessly – be pointed at the membership of the criminal entity. I so appreciate the excellent journalist (lawyer)Dimitri Lescaris (Reason2resist) unceasing use of “genocidal entity” in place of the proper noun. Not just another state; but one distinguished by its unspeakable avid darkness.
Sounds like the ghost of the USS Liberty in June of 1967.
When Israel attacked for 2 hours the American ship
with napalm, killing 34 wounding some 170 American
sailors, also in international Mediterranean seas and
clearly intentional. But President Johnson called
US fighter jets back from protecting the American
ship and Secretary McNamara couldn’t remember
the incident. No law or justice then or now.
The big joke was that Orange Hair the Pirate released a statement early today calling for a coalition for maritime security. He of course only meant security for oil company tankers full of product that will help to destroy the world. Peaceful people carrying humanitarian supplies would still not be protected.
The bigger joke is that this convoy was even needed at all. Any decent country in the world should be making a national effort to do what these volunteers were trying to do. Israel should be having to fight off every navy in the world as they all try to escort ships of humanitarian aid into Palestine.
Lock them up!