Last boat in Gaza humanitarian flotilla intercepted by Israel

A screengrab from a livestream showing the Marinettes crew sailing towards Gaza in the early hours of October 3, 2025 [Screengrab- Global Sumud Flotilla livestream] via Al Jazeera

Israel’s Foreign Ministry says it has already deported four Italian citizens who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla and is preparing to deport the rest of the activists.

The Israeli military has dismantled an entire humanitarian flotilla seeking to break its siege on war-ravaged Gaza, arresting hundreds of activists from dozens of vessels.

Livestream video showed Israeli forces forcing their way onboard the last vessel Friday morning. The Polish-flagged Marinette, which reportedly has a crew of six, was the final boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla – once a 44-strong fleet – to be seized by Israel.

The International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza also announced in a statement that several detainees arrested by Israeli forces had “entered an open-ended hunger strike from the moment of their detention.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry says it has already deported four Italian citizens who joined the flotilla and is preparing to deport the rest of the activists. “Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as possible,” the ministry said in a post on X.

It claimed that all 461 of the detained activists are “safe and in good health”. Earlier, the Global Sumud Flotilla called on Israel to release all its activists.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned Israel’s detention of journalists, who were among hundreds of activists seized from the vessels.

The Paris-based media watchdog said there were more than 20 foreign reporters on board the flotilla.

The journalists were arrested between Wednesday and Thursday when the Israeli navy began intercepting the boats ferrying politicians and activists towards Gaza, RSF said. Vessels with more than 450 people on board had been prevented from reaching the Gaza Strip by the Israeli navy.

“Arresting journalists and preventing them from doing their work is a serious violation of the right to inform and be informed,” said Martin Roux, head of the group’s crisis desk.

“RSF condemns the illegal arrest of the news professionals who were on board these ships to cover a humanitarian operation of unprecedented scale.”

Speaking via video call with flotilla organisers late on Thursday, the Australian captain of the last boat en route, 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.

Israel’s foreign ministry had previously warned the Marinette that “its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented”.

Since Wednesday, Israel’s naval forces have stopped dozens of boats carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza and detained about 500 activists from more than 40 countries.

Israel 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 Israel, 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.

Stephen Cotton, the general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), representing more than 16.5 million transport workers globally, told Al Jazeera that “attacking or seizing nonviolent, humanitarian vessels in international waters” is illegal under international law.

“States cannot pick and choose when to respect international law. The seas must not be turned into a theatre of war,” he said.

World leaders have also condemned the unlawful seizures, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who announced his government was expelling Israeli diplomats and cancelling Colombia’s free trade agreement in light of Israel’s actions.

European nations – including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece and Ireland – have also called on Israel to respect the rights of the crew members it has seized.

The United Nations is yet to comment on Israel’s actions, but the UN’s special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, has described the interceptions as an “illegal abduction”.

“My thoughts are with the people of Gaza, trapped in Israel’s killing fields,” Albanese wrote on X. – Al Jazeera news