Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Flotilla in international waters near Crete, seizing 22 of its 58 vessels bound for the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid. According to flotilla organizers, soldiers boarded the ships, disabled engine and navigation systems, and left hundreds of civilians stranded at sea as a storm approached. The activist group condemned the raid as an act of piracy that deliberately endangered the 345 passengers on board, which included 31 Turkish citizens. Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the operation and announced that approximately 175 activists from the fleet were detained. The maritime convoy had originally departed from Spain in mid-April, later gathering in Italy before launching its final mission across the Mediterranean.