The latest recoveries occurred near the coastal city of Tobruk, close to Libya’s border with Egypt, where search teams have been conducting operations since the vessel sank.

According to security and medical sources, the newly recovered bodies were found over recent days after the body of a woman was discovered on Sunday. Authorities said all of the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition.

Last week, rescue and recovery teams retrieved 15 bodies, including that of a young girl, from several locations along the Tobruk coastline. Ten survivors were rescued from the incident and later told authorities that the boat had been carrying approximately 61 people when it capsized, according to a Libyan navy source.

Based on survivor accounts, dozens of passengers remain unaccounted for and are feared lost at sea.

Photographs released by the Tobruk Coast Guard showed members of the search and rescue department working alongside volunteers from the Libyan Red Crescent to recover bodies from the shoreline. The images depicted rescue workers wrapping the remains in white cloth before transporting them for burial.

Medical officials said the condition of the bodies has complicated identification efforts. One source said many victims are being buried shortly after recovery because decomposition has rendered identification increasingly difficult.

Security patrols continue to monitor beaches and coastal areas around Tobruk amid expectations that additional bodies may be carried ashore by currents in the coming days.

Libya remains one of the principal departure points for migrants and asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. Many originate from sub-Saharan African countries and undertake dangerous journeys through Libya in search of safety, employment opportunities or escape from conflict and economic hardship.

The country’s prolonged instability since 2011 has enabled extensive migrant-smuggling networks to operate along its coastline, making the central Mediterranean route one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that overcrowded vessels, poor weather conditions and limited rescue capacity continue to contribute to recurring maritime tragedies in the region.

Authorities have not yet released details regarding the nationality of the victims or the circumstances that led to the sinking.

The surfers, among the few remaining practitioners of the sport in the Gaza Strip, gather on Gaza City’s coastline where the sounds of crashing waves contrast sharply with the devastation left by years of conflict.

“This sport is indescribable. When you catch a wave, ride it, glide along it, that feeling can’t be put into words,” said 23-year-old Taheen Abu Assi, who learned surfing from his father and grandfather.

Abu Assi said the conflict had not diminished his commitment to the sport, describing surfing as a rare source of relief amid uncertainty.

“We learned little by little, and even with the war, the shelling, and the destruction, we’re still continuing with this sport, because it lets us breathe and makes us feel safe,” he said.

Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October after two years of war, violence continues to affect daily life in the coastal enclave. Both sides have accused each other of repeated violations of the truce.

The dangers extend beyond land. In recent months, local medical officials and security sources have reported incidents involving fishermen injured by Israeli fire near Gaza’s coastline.

“The situation is still unstable,” Abu Assi said. “At any moment, shells or explosives could land near you.”

Despite the risks, the surfers paddle into the Mediterranean, temporarily escaping the pressures of life in a territory where large areas have been devastated by conflict and hundreds of thousands remain displaced.

The sport faces additional challenges due to shortages of specialized equipment caused by wartime disruptions and continuing restrictions on imports.

“One of the biggest challenges and difficulties we face as surfers in the Gaza Strip is the lack of tools and equipment specific to this sport,” said 19-year-old Abdel Rahim Al-Ustadh.

According to Al-Ustadh, surf wax is unavailable in Gaza, forcing surfers to improvise with candle wax to maintain grip on their boards.

Many rely on aging equipment that has survived years of use. Holding a worn surfboard estimated to be nearly 20 years old, Al-Ustadh said preserving existing boards was critical because replacing them was virtually impossible.

“As surfers, we treat these boards like great treasures to us, because losing any board or having it confiscated threatens our ability to continue in this sport,” he said.

The conflict has dramatically reduced Gaza’s surfing community. Khalil Abu Jiyab, 18, said a team of 17 surfers existed before the war, but only three remain active today due to equipment shortages and the loss of boards.

“I’ve been surfing for 13 years now, and my hopes have almost been shattered,” Abu Jiyab said, while expressing a desire to one day compete outside Gaza.

For many of Gaza’s remaining surfers, the sea continues to offer a rare sense of freedom in an environment shaped by conflict and uncertainty.

“There’s nothing in Gaza you can really look forward to except the sea,” Abu Jiyab said. “The only outlet in Gaza is the sea; without it, life would have vanished long ago.”

The vessel was carrying approximately 61 migrants, according to accounts provided by 10 survivors, a Libyan navy source told Reuters. The circumstances surrounding the sinking remain under investigation.

The bodies were discovered over the past week at multiple locations along the coastline near Tobruk, a port city close to Libya’s border with Egypt. Two security officials said the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting they had been in the water for an extended period. Authorities warned that additional bodies could yet be found.

Images shared by the Tobruk Red Crescent on social media showed rescue workers wearing protective suits recovering bodies from rocky coastal areas and transferring them into body bags.

The latest incident underscores the continuing risks faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe. Libya has remained a major transit hub for migrants and refugees since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Qaddafi, with many undertaking perilous sea journeys in search of safety or economic opportunity.

Libya’s oil-based economy also attracts migrants from neighboring countries and beyond who seek employment despite the country’s political instability and security challenges.

In a separate incident, the Emergency Medicine and Support Center in the city of Khums, operating under Libya’s Health Ministry in Tripoli, said medical teams treated 13 migrants after another boat capsized off the coast.

The two incidents highlight the persistent humanitarian challenges in the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, where overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels continue to place migrants at significant risk.

The dispute follows the EU’s decision on Monday to expand the mandate of Operation IRINI, a naval mission established to enforce the United Nations arms embargo on Libya. Under the revised mandate, EU military vessels operating in the Mediterranean will be able to stop and inspect foreign ships suspected of circumventing sanctions through the transport of Russian oil.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the move represented a threat to maritime security and accused the EU of attempting to intimidate civilian shipping under the guise of sanctions enforcement.

“The European Union’s deployment of ships from the IRINI naval operation in the Mediterranean to inspect or seize, as they now say, vessels carrying oil products would constitute a flagrant violation of international law,” Zakharova told a briefing in Moscow.

Zakharova rejected the EU’s characterization of a Russian-linked “shadow fleet,” describing the term as a political construct rather than a recognized legal category under international law. She argued that the planned inspections lacked a valid legal basis and risked undermining established principles governing international navigation.

She said Russia reserved the right to employ “the full arsenal of political, legal, and other instruments” to safeguard maritime security and protect the interests of shipowners and commercial operators involved in the transportation of oil products.

The EU has increasingly targeted vessels it believes are helping transport Russian oil outside Western sanctions frameworks imposed following Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. European officials have argued that tighter monitoring of tanker activity is necessary to strengthen sanctions enforcement and reduce opportunities for evasion.

The latest disagreement highlights growing tensions between Moscow and Brussels over the implementation of sanctions and the policing of maritime trade routes, particularly in areas where commercial shipping intersects with broader geopolitical disputes.

The accusations emerged after hundreds of participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived in Türkiye and other European countries following their deportation from Israel. The flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Israel’s coast while attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

According to accounts provided by activists and journalists, detainees were transferred from their vessels to military boats and then taken to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, where they were allegedly held in shipping containers and subjected to physical abuse.

Several detainees told media outlets they were punched, kicked, dragged, restrained for extended periods and denied access to lawyers or consular representatives. Some also alleged that tasers and attack dogs were used during the detention process.

Among those making allegations was Turkish activist Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, who said detainees were forced to keep their heads lowered while handcuffed and were subjected to rough treatment after refusing to sign documents presented by authorities.

American activist Christopher Boren said he suffered facial injuries after being struck shortly after arriving at Ashdod port, while Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani described being blindfolded, restrained and physically handled during transfers between vessels and detention facilities.

Greek activist Yiannis Atmatzidis also alleged he was beaten and subjected to a taser discharge during processing procedures.

The claims have drawn international attention, particularly after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared in a widely circulated video involving detained flotilla participants.

The footage prompted criticism from several foreign governments, some of which reportedly summoned Israeli diplomats to discuss concerns over the treatment of detainees.

Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations. Israeli Prison Service spokesperson Zivan Freidin described the accusations as “false and entirely without factual basis.”

The flotilla’s organizers said the mission was intended to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and challenge restrictions imposed under Israel’s blockade. Israeli authorities maintain that maritime restrictions are part of security measures aimed at preventing weapons and military supplies from reaching militant groups operating in the territory.

The competing accounts are likely to intensify international scrutiny of Israel’s handling of foreign activists and humanitarian missions linked to Gaza, while adding to broader diplomatic tensions surrounding the conflict.

Despite continuing Israeli strikes, severe restrictions on maritime activity and widespread shortages of basic goods, several surfers in Gaza City have resumed riding waves whenever conditions allow, describing the sport as a rare psychological escape from the conflict’s destruction.Only a handful of surfers remain active in Gaza because surfboards are scarce and replacement equipment is nearly impossible to obtain, said Tahseen Abu Assi, who said he carried his board with him throughout repeated wartime displacements.

“If something happened to it I won’t be able to get another one,” Abu Assi said, adding that surfboards have not entered Gaza since 2007 due to Israeli restrictions on a range of goods entering the territory.On Tuesday, Abu Assi joined two other surfers near Gaza City’s port, including Khalil Abu Jiab, as high seasonal waves reached the shoreline.The Israeli military has heavily restricted access to Gaza’s coastal waters since the start of the war.

The United Nations has documented incidents involving fishermen and civilians coming under fire at sea or near the shore.Last year, Israel formally designated Gaza’s maritime zone a “no-go zone,” banning fishing, swimming and most civilian access to coastal waters. Israeli patrols continue to operate off Gaza’s coastline, making sea activity hazardous.

Fishing and swimming remain prohibited off northern and southern Gaza, while access near central Gaza also carries risks due to ongoing military patrols.“There is fear of course, but we can’t leave this sport,” Abu Assi said. “During the war, in the middle of the bombing and the planes above us, we used to go down and practice this sport.”

Surfing conditions in Gaza are inconsistent because the Mediterranean waves along the enclave’s coast are often too small for the sport. Surfers say they seize any opportunity when larger swells arrive.Intense fighting across Gaza eased after a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 last year, though intermittent Israeli strikes have continued and both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured over 172,000 others since the war began. The conflict has severely damaged hospitals, housing and public infrastructure while deepening shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies.

For Gaza’s remaining surfers, the coastline offers one of the few remaining spaces for temporary release from daily hardship.“As soon as the sea gets high, you leave your work and leave your whole life,” Abu Assi said. “Work can be caught up on. We go practice this sport.”

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.

Volunteers working with naval forces and coast guards affiliated with the Libyan National Army rescued seven survivors during recovery operations near the coastal city of Tobruk, close to Libya’s border with Egypt, the Red Crescent said in a statement.

The group said the vessel had been stranded at sea for more than a week before rescue teams reached it. Security officials said they expected the bodies of the nine missing migrants to wash ashore in the coming days.Images released by the Red Crescent showed volunteers placing bodies in black plastic bags before loading them onto pickup trucks for transport.

Libya remains a major transit route for migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa, attempting to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean in overcrowded and often unsafe boats after fleeing poverty, violence and political instability.

Shipwrecks and deaths along the central Mediterranean route remain frequent, with human rights groups and international agencies repeatedly warning about the risks posed by traffickers operating from Libya’s coast.

On Tuesday, Libya’s attorney general said Tripoli Criminal Court sentenced four members of a criminal gang based in the western city of Zuwara to prison terms of up to 22 years for human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and torture.

In a separate case, the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the arrest of another trafficking group accused of sending migrants from Tobruk on a deteriorating vessel that later capsized, causing the deaths of 38 Sudanese, Egyptian and Ethiopian nationals, according to the attorney general.

Authorities said the gang had arranged the sea crossing despite the unsafe condition of the boat, adding to growing scrutiny of trafficking networks operating along Libya’s eastern and western coasts.

Libya has struggled for years to control migrant smuggling routes amid political fragmentation and weak law enforcement, with rival administrations and armed groups competing for influence across the country.

The survivors, who said their vessel had initially carried 105 people, were found clinging to the wreckage of an overturned boat before being taken aboard nearby ships, according to Mediterranea Saving Humans and Sea-Watch. The bodies and survivors were later transferred to an Italian coast guard patrol boat and brought to the island of Lampedusa.

Italy’s interior ministry declined to comment on the incident, while the Italian Coast Guard did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation. The rescue took place during Easter, a major holiday in Italy.

Footage released by Sea-Watch showed migrants struggling in open waters, with several individuals holding onto the partially submerged orange hull as rescuers approached.

The central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors, has been further complicated this year by adverse weather conditions. Rough seas have reduced the number of departures from North Africa but increased the risks for those attempting the journey.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that at least 683 people have died along the central Mediterranean route so far this year, marking one of the highest death tolls recorded since 2014.

Lebanon and Israel have reached a historic agreement demarcating a disputed maritime border between them, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Tuesday.

While limited in scope, a deal would mark a significant compromise between the states with a history of war, opening the way for offshore energy exploration and easing a source of recent tensions between them.

“This is a historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, inject billions into Israel’s economy, and ensure the stability of our northern border,” Lapid said in a statement.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said earlier that the terms of the final draft received from US envoy Amos Hochstein satisfied Lebanon and he hoped the deal would be announced as soon as possible.

The agreement between the neighbouring countries, which remain technically at war, could mark a major step towards unlocking offshore gas production for both countries.

Hochstein submitted an initial set of proposed final terms to Israel and Lebanon earlier this month.

Israel welcomed Hochstein’s first draft, but Lebanon sought amendments. Israel said it planned to reject the Lebanese changes.

Negotiations continued over recent days and Israel said Hochstein’s latest draft had brought a deal within reach.

“All our demands were met, the changes that we asked for were corrected,” Israel’s national security adviser and lead negotiator at the talks, Eyal Hulata, said in a statement.

“We protected Israel’s security interests and are on our way to a historic agreement,” he added.

A Lebanese source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP that the latest US draft “includes most of Lebanon’s demands, or positions, and fulfils them”.

Hochstein sent his proposal to Lebanon’s chief negotiator, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, late Monday and top officials were set to discuss them on Tuesday, added the source, who requested anonymity while discussing the negotiations.

The countries reopened negotiations on their maritime border in 2020, but the process has faced repeated roadblocks.

A major source of friction was the Karish gas field, which Israel insisted fell entirely within its waters and was not a subject of negotiation.

Lebanon reportedly claimed part of the field and Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Shiite group that holds huge sway in Lebanon, threatened attacks if Israel began production at Karish.

Israel has said production would begin at Karish as soon as possible, regardless of Lebanon’s demands.

Israeli Election

On Sunday, London-listed firm Energean began testing the pipeline linking Karish to the Israeli coast, a key step before production can begin.

Under the terms of the US draft leaked to the press, all of Karish would fall under Israeli control, while Qana, another potential gas field, would be divided but its exploitation would be under Lebanon’s control.

French company Total would be licensed to search for gas in the Qana field, and Israel would receive a share of future revenues.

Lapid has said his government is committed to exporting more gas to Europe to help replace Russian deliveries hit by the war in Ukraine.

But Israel’s November 1 general election has overshadowed the recent phases of the negotiations.

Right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, charged that Lapid had “capitulated” to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which plays a leading role in the country’s politics, by moving forward with an agreement.

It is not clear if Netanyahu, who remains determined to reclaim the premiership he held from 2009-2021, has seen the deal’s proposed terms.

But he has nevertheless vowed that the hawkish government he hopes to form next month with his far-right and religious allies will not be bound by any agreement with Lebanon.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)