The organisers of a flotilla of aid vessels bound for Gaza said yesterday that Israeli forces had intercepted 10 of their boats and that contact had been lost with a total 23 vessels in the eastern Mediterranean.

Earlier yesterday, Israel’s foreign ministry had said on X that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza”. Turkey denounced Israel for a “new act of piracy”.

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.

Live video showed military vessels approaching the vessels yesterday.  “Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet,” the Global Sumud Flotilla initially said on X.