Israeli forces fired shots at Gaza flotilla, all boats intercepted, group says
Incident Overview and International Reactions
By Omer Berberoglu and Daren Butler
Details of the Flotilla Interception
ISTANBUL, May 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces opened fire on at least two vessels in an aid flotilla sailing towards Gaza on Tuesday, according to video footage and flotilla organisers, but Israel said no live ammunition was used and there were no casualties.
The flotilla was making a renewed attempt to deliver aid to Gaza after earlier missions were intercepted by Israel in international waters.
Footage and Statements from the Scene
Video from the flotilla's livestream showed soldiers firing shots at two of the boats. The type of ammunition fired was not clear.
"At no point was live ammunition fired," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Following multiple warnings, non-lethal means were employed toward the vessels - not toward protesters - as a warning. No protesters were injured during these events," it added.
Aftermath and Detentions
The Global Sumud Flotilla later said that all 50 boats in the flotilla had been intercepted in the eastern Mediterranean, with 428 participants from more than 40 countries detained, including 78 Turks.
Israel's foreign ministry said all 430 activists had been transferred to Israeli vessels and were en route to Israel. It said the activists would be allowed to meet their consular representatives.
It was not immediately clear why Israel and the flotilla offered differing numbers for those on board.
Political and International Responses
Israeli and Turkish Government Positions
The foreign ministry had said on X on Monday that it "will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza".
Speaking in Ankara late on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the intervention against the "voyagers of hope" in the flotilla and called on the international community to act against Israel's actions.
Background on the Flotilla and Participants
Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail for a third time on Thursday from southern Turkey, after earlier attempts to deliver aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israel in international waters.
The group said previously there were 426 people taking part in the flotilla from 39 countries.
Sanctions and Activist Perspectives
The United States Treasury said on Tuesday it was imposing sanctions against four people associated with what it described as the "pro-Hamas" flotilla.
Pro-Palestinian activists say Israel and the U.S. wrongly conflate their advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for Hamas militants.
Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
Current Conditions and Aid Efforts
Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching Gaza are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire agreed in October that included guarantees of increased aid.
Most of Gaza's more than 2 million people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings.
Israeli Response on Aid Access
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its residents.
(Reporting by Omer Berberoglu, Daren Butler, Alexander Cornwell, Nina Lopez and Menna Alaa El-Din; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Alex Richardson, William Maclean, Sanjeev Miglani and Deepa Babington)
