Australians detained as Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla

London: Six Australians, campaigner Greta Thunberg and others have been detained after Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla of more than 40 vessels seeking to land in Gaza to deliver aid and show support for the Palestinian cause.

Israeli Navy vessels moved in to stop the Global-Sumud flotilla in the early hours of Thursday AEST, targeting boats with drones and water cannons.

Confirming the operation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said authorities intended to stop and detain all passengers and crew and transfer them to an Israeli port.

A live video feed from one of the flotilla boats showed passengers in life vests sitting on deck. Footage from another boat appeared to show people with their hands raised in a surrender pose, and being sprayed with water.

“Passengers on their yachts are making their way safely and peacefully to Israel, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin. The passengers are safe and in good health,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said shortly before 4pm on Thursday, AEST.

At the same time, a statement issued on behalf of one of the Australians, Surya McEwen, called for government action to ensure the group’s safety.

In addition to McEwen, Australians Abubakir Rafiq, Hamish Paterson, Juliet Lamont, Bianca Webb-Pullman, and Dan Coward had also been detained, the statement said.

“All six were abducted from their vessels approximately 70 kilometres from the Gaza coastline and remain in Israeli custody,” said McEwen’s support team.

“We are calling on the Australian government to take immediate action to secure their safety and release.”

The flotilla organisers, meanwhile, put out several Telegram videos with messages from individuals aboard the various boats, some holding their passports and claiming they had been abducted and taken to Israel against their will, and reiterating that their mission was a non-violent humanitarian cause.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid. It began with more than 50 vessels, but some withdrew with mechanical problems, while at least four pulled out last week after being targeted by Israeli drones.

Surya McEwen, who is from Goonengerry in northern NSW and was on board Mia Mia, sent a message to this masthead during the operation saying he saw 25 military ships approaching the flotilla using smoke bombs, sound bombs, water cannons, and drone swarms.

McEwen said the ships intercepted the largest boats in the flotilla, but his vessel continued to sail and was about 122 kilometres from Gaza.

“The comms are jammed, the GPS jammed, VHF [radio] jammed, but if we get far enough away from the bigger military vessels, our Starlink comes back on briefly and then goes out again,” he said in an audio message sent at 7.15am AEST.

“Right now, we’re carrying on.” He sent another message at 11am, AEST, saying his boat was dodging navy ships and still sailing. But communications ended as the Israeli forces intercepted each boat.

Lamont, a filmmaker from northern NSW on board Wahoo, said in a message during the operation that the boat was “swarmed and sprayed with high-powered water cannons”. Paterson, a seafarer from northern NSW, was also on Wahoo. The Maritime Union of Australia said he was detained.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on social media that Thunberg and her companions were “safe and healthy”. A video was posted that appeared to show Thunberg and several masked and armed Israeli military personnel.

The Israeli ministry called the ships “the Hamas-Sumud flotilla” to connect it with Hamas, the listed terrorist group that has controlled much of Gaza, a link that members of the flotilla have rejected.

The ministry said a number of countries, including Italy and Greece, had offered to help deliver the aid for the flotilla, but the organisers refused because they were not interested in aid but rather “provocation”.

Julie Webb-Pullman, mother of Bianca Webb-Pullman, previously expressed her anger at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade after she called for help and was told that officials were in Tel Aviv.

“Australia’s conduct, in the form of its DFAT response, is reprehensible,” she said.

“Utterly devoid of responsibility towards its citizens as laid out in its own policy, and totally in breach of its international obligations under UN conventions to which it is signatory, not to mention devoid of any shred of morality.”

A DFAT spokesperson said Australian officials were liaising with Israeli authorities and were ready to provide consular assistance, and it called on all sides to respect international law and ensure the safety and humane treatment of those involved.

“We understand that people want to help deliver aid to those suffering in Gaza – we also want to see critical aid delivered,” the spokesperson said.

“For some time, we have warned against attempts to breach the naval blockade and strongly advised Australians not to do so because of the risks to their safety.”

Hours before the interception, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite said he was “deeply concerned” about alleged drone attacks on the flotilla several days ago and the risks to the safety of the Australians and other passengers.

Israel had said it would use any means necessary to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza because it argues its naval blockade is a legal means to defeat Hamas, the group that launched an attack on Israel in October 2023 and is listed by Australia and others as a terrorist organisation.

About 90 per cent of Gaza’s population has been displaced in the subsequent war, often multiple times, and finding food is a daily struggle for many. On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said intensifying warfare in Gaza City had forced it to suspend its operations there.

In August, the United Nations confirmed a state of famine in Gaza City and the surrounding areas for the first time, affecting more than half a million people.

With Reuters, AP

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