Israel preparing for 'complex confrontation' with Gaza-bound flotilla

Israel is preparing a "complex naval confrontation" with the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a civilian aid mission spearheaded by pro-Palestine activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza, according to Israeli media reports.

The reports came just hours after repeated drone attacks targeted the flotilla's boats off Greece late on Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday.

The standoff could spark an international crisis as the flotilla is carrying hundreds of activists from 44 countries on between 40 and 50 vessels that set sail from Spain, Tunisia, Italy, and Greece - a massive increase compared with just one ship in each of the previous flotillas.

Channel 12 reported that Israel's military was concerned about the prospect of boarding dozens of vessels simultaneously, a scenario it fears could spiral out of control.

The report claimed that Israel had offered flotilla organisers the option of docking in Ashkelon and transferring aid to Gaza ahead of the Jewish New Year holiday.

Israel's total siege of Gaza has resulted in hundreds of famine deaths in the territory, while its banning of UNRWA operations and its insistence that aid only be delivered through the US and Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has led to over a thousand Palestinians being shot dead by the Israeli army as they desperately tried to obtain aid.

Organisers rejected the proposal, insisting they would continue sailing directly to the besieged Palestinian territory.

Israeli fears are said to be heightened by the flotilla's estimated four-to-five-day arrival window, which coincides with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned White House meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Israel warned it would not allow the ships to enter what it termed a "combat zone" or to "violate international law" - a claim activists say is itself a pretext for breaking international law by attacking a humanitarian mission.

Moroccan lawyer Abdelhak Benkadi, who heads the GSF's legal team, told The New Arab's sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the flotilla's mission was strictly civilian and humanitarian, stressing its commitment to "nonviolent behaviour through a number of measures".

Israel has branded the mission as a "Hamas flotilla" and Benkadi said it was "fabricating and falsifying facts and events to create pretexts that legitimise its aggression and barbaric interventions".

The flotilla reported that several boats were attacked overnight, with explosions and "unidentified objects" dropped on and near them, causing "significant damage" and disrupting communications.

At least 13 blasts were recorded, while 15 low-flying drone sorties were logged over the Alma boat within 24 hours.

Brazilian human rights activist Thiago Avila, who is on the mission, said in an Instagram video that by midnight on Wednesday, 10 separate attacks had been carried out using sound bombs and explosive flares, adding he suspected chemicals may also have been sprayed.

GSF spokesperson Wael Nawar confirmed there were no casualties and that sailing resumed on Wednesday morning, though he warned of potentially more violent attacks ahead. One vessel was "severely damaged" and may be forced to dock at the nearest port.

The flotilla endured four hours of overnight attacks and severe communication blackouts, with organisers condemning what they said was Israel’s attempt to intimidate and assault a humanitarian mission "in real time".

On its official social media page, the GSF posted a video of an explosion near one vessel, with a drone audibly passing close overhead before a blast prompted one passenger to dive for cover.

"Israel is threatening and terrorising humanitarians carrying aid in international waters," Code Pink wrote, as it reshared the video.

In its statement, the GSF invoked international law and the Geneva Conventions, declaring that the attacks on its humanitarian mission "constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity".

It urged UN member states at the ongoing General Assembly to place the flotilla attacks on the agenda and adopt a resolution addressing the violations.

The flotilla - supported by prominent figures such as Greta Thunberg and actor Liam Cunningham - had already been targeted in suspected drone strikes while docked in Tunisia. Two earlier attempts to reach Gaza by sea were also intercepted by Israel in June and July.

Organisers, including aid workers and campaigners from around the world, say the mission is a peaceful effort to highlight Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe under Israel’s starvation siege.