Israel says Gaza flotilla halted as activists hail success

Gaza [Palestine], October 3: The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it had prevented the Global Sumud Flotilla from breaking through the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, despite contradictory claims from the activists on board.
The organizers of the aid flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona in late August and aimed to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gaza's population, said Israel intercepted around 40 boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
However, the activists said one boat, the Mikeno, reached within a few kilometres of Gaza's coast, as shown on their online ship tracking service.
They described the mission as a success, saying it was the first time a civilian vessel had managed to break through the Israeli naval blockade and enter the territorial waters off the Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel newspaper reported, citing military sources, that none of the flotilla's ships had managed to reach the Israeli-controlled waters off the coast of Gaza, saying the activists' claim was based on incorrect tracking data.
The fate of the Mikeno remained unclear due to interrupted communications. There were no reports that the boat had reached dry land and been able to unload any aid supplies.
The Israeli military and the Foreign Ministry did not initially respond to enquiries about the Mikeno.
The Israeli navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on Wednesday evening around 80 kilometres off the coast in international waters.
Activists said the interception was illegal and accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip - accusations which Israel has rejected in the past.
Source: Qatar Tribune