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LAST UPDATE | 1 Oct 2025
A FLOTILLA CARRYING aid to Gaza is currently being intercepted by Israeli warships, according to flotilla organisers.
They’re currently around 70 nautical miles away from Gaza.
An estimated 14 Israeli ships have approached several of the vessels taking part in the flotilla.
It is understood that at least four vessels have already been boarded by Israeli forces, including ships with Irish activists aboard.
The vessels were the Alma, Sirius, Spectre, Adara, Huga and Deir Yassine/Mali.
In a statement, the Global Sumud Flotilla said the intervention by the Israeli Navy was an “illegal attack on unarmed humanitarians in international waters”.
A flotilla spokesperson told The Journal that at least seven Irish activists were aboard boats which have been boarded by Israeli forces.
Those aboard include Louise Heaney, Tadgh Hickey, Sarah Clancy, Tara O’Grady, Dairmuod Mac Dubhghlais, Thomas McCune and Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews.
In a statement this evening Sinn Féin said: “The flotilla, including Senator Andrews’ boat, the Spectre, was violently assaulted by Israeli military forces, with participants kidnapped by armed Israeli agents.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris has said he is keeping in “close contact” with officials working on the ground and has spoken with EU counterparts on the Global Sumud Flotilla.
President Michael D Higgins said the interception of the flotilla, as well as recent events in Gaza, “should alarm the entire world”.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed it has halted vessels from the flotilla.
“Already several vessels of the… flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port. Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” the ministry said on social media, referring to Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is aboard the flotilla.
A livestream of the flotilla appeared to show that the radio and phone signal for several boats have been cut off. Activists aboard several of the boats could be seen bracing for boarding and detainment by Israeli authorities.
A spokesperson for the flotilla said: “On the livestream you can see participants are sitting peacefully on the vessels with their hands in the air and Israeli naval vessels are launching water cannon attacks on them.”
“We have also had reports of chemical attacks on flotilla vessels from participants on the vessels.”
Most of the flotilla’s boats are still en route to Gaza, roughly 70 nautical miles away, and intend to continue “undeterred”, a spokesperson said.
The Global Sumud Flotilla website, which has been tracking the course of the vessels among the flotilla is now offline.
However, the YouTube livestream showing those on board a number of the flotilla’s vessels is still operational, with nearly 60,000 people tuned in.
Earlier reports from Israeli media suggested that the navy might sink vessels in the flotilla attempting to breach Gaza’s long-standing naval blockade and reach the territory’s coast.
The flotilla, which is carrying around 22 Irish citizens, left Spain last month and is now approaching waters off Egypt, which is where Israel intercepted previous flotillas.
Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews, author Naoise Dolan and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg are on the flotilla, which is the largest civilian maritime mission organised to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza.
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald contacted Simon Harris this evening following the latest updates from the flotilla.
She stated in a post on social media that Andrews had told her “a line of Israeli warships” is awaiting the flotilla.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is aware of the situation and is in direct contact with the flotilla’s Irish representative.
“Our focus now is on assisting citizens immediately impacted and their families – this will be the priority for our team over the coming hours. Along with other EU Member States with citizens impacted, our Embassy in Tel Aviv is in contact with the relevant authorities,” the department said.
🇵🇸 All eyes on the flotilla! I just spoke to Senator Chris Andrews. The flotilla is now 45 nautical miles from Gaza and is faced by 12-14 Israeli warships. Some boats have already been intercepted. This is a moment of huge danger. The Irish government must speak out. Irish… pic.twitter.com/ccWjrCMrhq
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) October 1, 2025
This evening, Clare poet Sarah Clancy told The Journal that 10 to 14 unidentified ships were approaching the lead ship in our flotilla, and were just a few nautical miles away.
“We think that, given last night’s events where we were harassed and surrounded by Israeli naval ships, it’s really likely that this number of ships traveling towards us without identification is likely to be the Israelis in an attempt to stop the flotilla,” Clancy said.
She added that activists will offer no resistance if Israeli forces board the flotilla detain them.
“We’ve done training in non-violent behaviors, so we’ll be we won’t be offering any sort of physical resistance whatsoever to anyone who comes on board our ships,” Clancy said.
“We’ll be sitting down with our hands up – but we’ll be doing our best to insist on our legal right to a safe passage through international waters to Gaza with our humanitarian aid.”
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins released a statement on the Flotilla after news broke it had been intercepted by Israeli forces.
“In recent weeks there was a near consensus among members of the United Nations that a Palestinian State should be recognized as an essential building block for peace in the region.
“We might well ask where stands this commitment now if a flotilla involving more than 40 boats and more than 500 people from the international community seeking to bring humanitarian aid – water, medicines and food to those who are in desperate need – is being prevented from achieving that humanitarian objective.”
“The safety and protection of those involved in this humanitarian exercise is a concern for all of us and all of the nations from which the people come,” he added.
Organisers of the flotilla said one of its main ships, the Alma, was “aggressively circled by an Israeli warship” last night, before another vessel, the Sirius, was subjected to “similar harassing manoeuvres”.
Diarmuid Mac Dubhghlais, who is travelling on the boat Sirius, said earlier that an Israeli ship and submarine approached and entered the flotilla at 2am, and then 5.30am.
“They didn’t do any damage but it scared us greatly, we were all scattered,” he said.
“We are still going to Gaza, we are about 110-120 miles away from Gaza. With the hope of god we will get there. The only thing we want is that the Israeli army will leave our boats alone.”
Another Irish passenger on the flotilla, Tadhg Hickey, told The Journal that he believes the Israeli army will attack soon.
“For now, we’re just pressing on. The likelihood is that they [Israeli forces] will come during the night,” he said.
With additional reporting from Jane Matthews and AFP.
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