In Brief
- Eight Australians are thought to have sailed on the flotilla of approximately 58 vessels on an aid mission to Gaza.
- Israel, which has blockaded the Palestinian territory since 2007, has intercepted a reported 22 of the boats in the Mediterranean.
Six Australian nationals have been taken into custody by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the interception of their vessels headed for Gaza in international waters, according to activist organizers. The group, who intended to break the naval blockade of Gaza, has expressed surprise at Israel’s overnight intervention.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has stated that it will provide consular support in Crete, where the Australians are expected to be transported. However, the department also advised against Australians joining such flotillas aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade.
“DFAT consular staff are stationed in Crete to offer assistance to any Australians who may be transferred there as part of the ‘Global Sumud Flotilla,'” a spokesperson told SBS News. “We are actively communicating with Israeli and Greek authorities to verify the detention of any Australian citizens.”
The Israeli foreign ministry reported that about 175 activists were detained by the IDF from around 22 vessels that were attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. These activists are slated to be taken to Greece, where they are anticipated to be released later today.
“We are also continuing to liaise with local authorities in Israel and Greece including to confirm the detention of any Australians.”
The Israeli foreign ministry said around 175 activists had been removed by the IDF from approximately 22 boats that had been attempting to deliver aid to the beleaguered Palestinian territory. The activists will be transported to Greece, where they are expected to be released later today.
Just two of the eight Australians aboard the flotilla vessels remain in contact, spokesperson Alexa Stewart said.
Six more Australians had been intending to join the vessels from ports around the Mediterranean before the flotilla was intercepted near the Greek island of Crete.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a statement that the IDF had “successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza” and described the flotilla as “provocative”.
“We call on anyone who is not interested in provocations but rather in humanitarian aid to Gaza to do so through the [Donald Trump-founded Board of Peace],” he continued.
“Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
Activist organisers dispute Israel’s numbers, saying that the army had “kidnapped” 211 activists. They announced on social media that their boats were surrounded by Israeli military ships shortly before they were boarded.
The flotilla set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain, and Syracuse in Italy.
Australians onboard
Anny Mokotow — a member of Sydney-based activist group Jews Against the Occupation — and Brisbane resident Sam Watson are thought to still be on board the remaining flotilla vessels.
The six Australians alleged to have been detained are Zack Schofield, Ethan Floyd, Neve O’Connor, Bianca Webb-Pullman, Surya McEwen and Cameron Tribe.
Subhi Awad, a spokesperson for the Australian delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla and a Palestinian activist, described Israel’s actions as an “egregious act of state-sanctioned piracy”.
“This once again shows that Israel will stop at no lengths to prevent aid getting to the sick and deliberately starved children and civilians in Palestine,” Awad said.
“Our message to the Australian government is that they need to pick up the phone and call their mate Isaac Herzog, to get him to get our people home.”
Israeli Prime Minister Herzog visited Australia in February following the antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in December of last year, in which 15 Jewish Australians were killed. His visit was met by protests but defended by Anthony Albanese.
Bianca Webb-Pullman’s mother Julie expressed her concern for her daughter and her crewmates.
“Having worked in Gaza for nine years, I know the desperate conditions there, especially for health workers,” she told reporters at a press conference in Melbourne on Friday.
“Bianca is a doctor trying to ensure medical aid gets into Gaza — the Australian government must enable her and the flotilla’s unobstructed passage through international waters to deliver it.”
Marissa Floyd, mother of Ethan, said she is proud of her son but disappointed she has not heard more from the government.
“It has been more than 24 hours since I first made contact with DFAT and Dan Repacholi as my local member,” she said.
“I have not had one phone call, one text message, one email from anyone in the government informing me of what is happening to bring our citizens home.”
The activists have said that they are organising “snap” rallies on Friday evening and Saturday in support of the flotilla and the Australians they describe as being “held hostage”.
Government called upon
Greens leader Larissa Waters called the incident “yet another shocking breach of international law by Israel”.
“Foreign Minister Penny Wong must back the brave flotilla crew and fight for their release,” she said in a post on social media.
This is not the first time that a group of vessels has attempted to break the Israeli naval blockade.
In late August 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention.
The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.
Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and several Australians, were detained at the notorious Ketziot prison before being expelled.
The organisers of the latest flotilla said their boats had been surrounded by Israeli military ships while significantly further from Israel than on previous attempts.
“Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,” a Global Sumud Flotilla spokesperson said.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) verified that the boats were intercepted in the Greek exclusive economic zone.
Around 30 boats from the flotilla are still en route, most now in Greek territorial waters south of Crete, according to the same source.
‘Brazen interception’
“Due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade, an early action was required in accordance with international law,” Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said.
Amnesty International has condemned what it has called a “brazen interception”.
“The Israeli navy crossing hundreds of miles at sea just to ensure civilian boats carrying food, baby formula, and medical supplies don’t make it to Palestinians reveals the lengths Israel is prepared to go to in order to maintain its cruel and unlawful 19-year-long blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip,” Amnesty’s Erika Guevara Rosas said in a statement.
Israel controls all entry points to Gaza. It has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing lethal shortages since the start of the war in October 2023.
The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
Hamas’ October 2023 attack killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures compiled by AFP.
Israeli military operations carried out in retaliation have killed more than 72,000 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
A fragile ceasefire was reached last October, two years after the initial attack and Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Gaza.
Around 1.9 million Palestinian people have been displaced, and 60 per cent of the population is now without a home, according to the latest UN reports.
— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse.
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