Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said five Indonesian citizens were detained after Israeli forces boarded flotilla vessels approximately 250 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast, while four other Indonesians remained aboard two of the 10 boats still heading toward the territory. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said 16 Malaysians had also been detained during the operation.

The flotilla coalition, comprising more than 50 boats and nearly 500 participants from 45 countries, departed from Turkiye last week on what organizers described as the final leg of a mission to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and protest Israel’s restrictions on aid access.

“The situation on the ground remains highly dynamic,” Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said in a video statement, adding that Indonesian nationals still at sea remained vulnerable to interception by Israeli forces.

Indonesia urged Israel to release all detained activists and vessels and allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians “in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the ministry said.

Video footage circulating online showed Israeli naval personnel approaching several vessels in speedboats before boarding them in daylight on Monday. Organizers from the Global Sumud Flotilla said at least 41 boats had been intercepted and 337 participants detained.

Anwar said Malaysia was coordinating with other governments to secure the activists’ release. In a statement posted on social media, he said the interception violated international law and obstructed humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza’s civilian population.

Israeli authorities have not publicly detailed the status of those detained. Activists from several Asian countries, including South Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, were also reported to be among those taken into custody.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono joined counterparts from Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, the Maldives, Pakistan and Spain in issuing a joint statement condemning attacks on civilian vessels and what they described as arbitrary detentions of humanitarian activists.

The ministers said such actions constituted violations of international law and called for the immediate release of all detainees while urging respect for the activists’ rights and safety.

The latest interception follows similar incidents in recent months involving aid flotillas attempting to reach Gaza. Last month, Israeli forces intercepted more than 20 boats near the Greek island of Crete and detained roughly 175 activists, according to organizers.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have continued to deteriorate amid ongoing Israeli military operations following the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

The United Nations has said approximately 1.8 million people in Gaza have been displaced and remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance amid mounting shortages of food, medicine and shelter.

Obay Al-Qarshli, 21, and Ahmed Al-Halabi, 23, have drawn attention online after painting a mural of Spanish football player Lamine Yamal amid the ruins of Gaza.

The artists said their work seeks to acknowledge international figures and activists who have voiced support for Palestinians during the conflict.

“We try to thank every person who supports Gaza and send them a message of gratitude from Gaza,” Al-Qarshli told Arab News. “We in Gaza see them, we recognize them, and we appreciate what they are doing for us.”

The pair said the project began with a mural dedicated to Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla launched from Spain in April in an attempt to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade.

According to the artists, Avila later shared the mural on social media, helping bring international visibility to their work.

The paintings are created under severe wartime conditions, with limited access to paint, damaged infrastructure and ongoing insecurity across Gaza after months of Israeli military operations that began in October 2023.

“Something that used to cost $5 now costs $20,” Al-Qarshli said of art supplies, adding that the materials are difficult to locate and often require long travel through devastated neighborhoods.

The artists said they frequently work atop unstable debris and partially collapsed buildings because few intact walls remain.

“Even if Gaza becomes only ruins, we will still deliver our message to the world,” Al-Halabi said.
Before the war, both artists said they worked in studios, participated in exhibitions and hoped to pursue international artistic careers through scholarships and residency programs abroad.

Al-Halabi said some of his artwork had been exhibited in Europe and the United States, but restrictions on movement and border closures prevented him from accompanying his work overseas.

“I want my art to be displayed abroad, but why can’t I stand next to it?” he said.
Al-Qarshli said approximately 30 of his earlier works, including pieces previously displayed in galleries and a local museum in Gaza, were destroyed after the conflict began.

He stopped painting for a period before resuming with a piece depicting repeated displacement experienced by Gazans during the war.

Both artists said they had received educational opportunities abroad, including a university acceptance in Germany, but remained unable to leave Gaza because of restrictions on movement.

The conflict has severely disrupted daily life in Gaza, where shortages of electricity, water, food and fuel continue to affect residents and limit artistic work, including access to lighting and transportation.

The Israeli foreign ministry said Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila were expelled after being arrested on April 29 when Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters and escorted the vessel to Israel.

According to the foreign ministry, Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization, while Avila was suspected of illegal activity. Both activists rejected the allegations, saying they had participated in a humanitarian mission aimed at delivering aid to civilians in Gaza and describing their detention outside Israeli territorial waters as unlawful.

The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla mission launched from Spain on April 12 in an attempt to breach Israel’s long-standing blockade on Gaza by sea.

Images released from court proceedings earlier this month showed both men appearing before Israeli judicial authorities following their detention.

Israel has maintained tight restrictions on Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007, citing security concerns and the need to prevent weapons smuggling. Hamas, which governs much of the enclave, is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and several Western governments.

International scrutiny over access to humanitarian aid has intensified during the Gaza war triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The conflict has displaced large portions of Gaza’s population and sharply increased dependence on external assistance.

Humanitarian agencies and international organizations have repeatedly warned that aid deliveries into Gaza remain insufficient to meet civilian needs amid widespread destruction and deteriorating living conditions.

The flotilla interception has also drawn criticism from some United Nations experts and rights advocates, who have questioned the legality of detaining activists operating in international waters.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of more than 50 boats that departed in recent weeks from Marseille, Barcelona and Syracuse, said in a statement posted overnight on X that Israeli forces had approached the convoy near the eastern Mediterranean as it sailed toward Gaza.

“Israeli military boats have illegally surrounded the flotilla in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence,” the group said, adding that communications had been lost with 11 vessels.

According to the organization’s live tracking system, the flotilla was positioned off the coast of Greece near Crete when the incident occurred.

The group said military speedboats identifying themselves as Israeli forces approached the vessels, pointed lasers and semi-automatic weapons at passengers, and ordered participants to move to the front of the boats and kneel.

“Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons,” the organization said, adding that communications were being jammed and that a distress signal had been issued.Reuters could not independently verify the claims, and there was no immediate public comment from Israeli authorities.

The flotilla is part of a continuing effort by international activists to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007 after Hamas took control of the enclave.

Organizers say the mission is intended to deliver solidarity and draw attention to humanitarian conditions in Gaza, while Israel has previously said such flotillas violate security restrictions designed to prevent weapons and materials from reaching Hamas.

In late 2025, a previous flotilla involving around 50 boats and several high-profile activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, was intercepted by the Israeli navy.The organizers and Amnesty International said that boarding operation violated international law, while Israel detained and later deported those involved.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, after nearly two years of war, while aid access and maritime restrictions around Gaza remain major points of dispute.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try and break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are on board.

“We have sent one ship and another is on its way, ready for any eventuality,” Crosetto said in a speech to the lower house of parliament.

Italy sent a first frigate on Wednesday, hours after the GSF said it was targeted by drones that dropped stun grenades and itching powder, in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos.

The GSF blamed Israel for the attack.

The Israeli foreign ministry did not respond directly to the accusation, but repeated an invitation for the flotilla to drop humanitarian aid in an Israeli port, leaving it to Israeli authorities to take it to Gaza, or else face consequences.

Spain has also decided to send a military warship to protect the flotilla.

Crosetto warned the activists against insisting on trying to break the Israeli blockade, and urged them to accept an Italian proposal to hand over their aid supplies and allow them to be distributed in Gaza by the local Catholic Church.

“We cannot guarantee the safety of our fellow citizens if they enter the territorial waters of other countries,” Crosetto said.

The GSF said early on Thursday that its vessels were sailing at slow speed in Greek territorial waters, had been subjected to “moderate drone activity” during the night, and were heading towards international waters “later today”.