Israeli naval forces have intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of more than 40 civilian boats carrying around 500 participants, including parliamentarians, lawyers, activists, Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, and actor Susan Sarandon, as well as aid for Gaza.
A Mexican crew member on board the flotilla, Arlin Medrano, reported in a live broadcast that a dozen Israeli military vessels were approaching the convoy in international waters, calling the interception “totally illegal” and in violation of international law.
Medrano urged the Mexican government to ensure the safety of the two Mexican citizens on board in case of interception. She said the flotilla would continue its mission even if some vessels were stopped, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza for the first time since 2007.
Organisers said the interception occurred after Israeli warships blocked communications and moved to halt the convoy. No immediate details were available regarding possible detentions or the fate of the ships.
Earlier, activists reported seeing more than a dozen Israeli vessels ahead of them and said all flotilla ships had switched to “alarm mode.”
Live footage from the Alma vessel showed crew members wearing life jackets and seated in a circle as they prepared for a possible boarding.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the flotilla was being directed toward the port of Ashdod, where aid can be unloaded and transferred to Gaza, and said Thunberg and other participants are safe.
The United Nations called for the safety and rights of those on board to be respected. Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: “We do not want anyone to get hurt, and we want people’s rights to be respected. We want to make sure everyone is safe.”
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August from Genoa and Barcelona, aiming to reach Gaza. Marine tracking data placed the vessels about 150 nautical miles (278 km) from Gaza, an area considered high-risk due to previous interceptions.
The mission comes amid warnings from humanitarian agencies about severe shortages of food, medicine, and aid in Gaza, where a blockade has been in place for nearly 18 years.
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its annual party conference, where delegates voted to keep Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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