Greta Thunberg Gaza flotilla – live: Israeli forces detain Greta Thunberg after intercepting more than dozen vessels

The Israeli foreign ministry has said passengers of the Global Sumud Flotilla are making their way to Israel where their deportation procedures to Europe will commence.

Israeli forces have stopped 14 boats carrying aid to Gaza, however 23 boats are continuing to sail onwards.

Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi has condemned Israel’s interception of Gaza-bound aid vessels, describing it as a “criminal act of piracy” in international waters.

Ashrawi, a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee, praised the flotilla activists as “those brave men and women” for challenging what she called Israel’s genocide and illegal blockade of Gaza.

“They’re putting their lives on the line by actively intervening [and] demonstrating the real meaning of solidarity [and] human empathy,” she added.

Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying aid into Gaza.

Threatening legal measures to hold Israel accountable, he said: “I urge the immediate release of all Malaysian and international activists and volunteers.”

“This is a humanitarian mission that brings unarmed civilians, along with much-needed aid to the people of Gaza. The government will do its best to free Malaysian citizens in custody,” he wrote on X.

The safety of Malaysian nationals was a priority, he said, adding: “We will not remain silent when their rights and dignity are violated.”

“As long as the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people continue to be denied, Malaysia will remain steadfast and will not back down from continuing to urge and demand that the longstanding injustice and deprivation be stopped,” he said.

Israeli forces have begun intercepting a flotilla of civilian boats heading towards Gaza, prompting mass protests, diplomatic pressure and threats of industrial action across several countries.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of more than 40 vessels carrying some 500 passengers including parliamentarians, lawyers and climate activist Greta Thunberg, was nearing the besieged enclave when Israeli operations against it were reported.

In Italy, which had already witnessed a general strike in solidarity with the flotilla last month, thousands took to the streets again. Demonstrations swept through Rome, Milan, Turin and Genoa, while protesters in Naples and Pisa briefly occupied train platforms, halting services. In Bologna, large crowds carrying Palestinian flags and banners also gathered.

At Rome’s Termini station, hundreds of demonstrators chanting “let’s block everything” forced authorities to restrict access and shut parts of the metro.

Italian media estimated that as many as 10,000 people had joined the protest in the capital, while local television speculated about the safety of several Italian parliamentarians who were travelling with the flotilla.

Chants of “Free Palestine” echoed through the demonstrations, alongside calls for prime minister Giorgia Meloni to resign.

Italian news channels provided rolling coverage of the unrest.Two of Italy’s largest unions announced a nationwide strike for Friday in response to the developments.

“The aggression against civilian ships that were carrying Italian citizens is an extremely serious matter,” the CGIL union declared. The USB union added that it planned to blockade the port of Genoa.

The Global Sumud Flotilla has denounced the interception of its vessels by Israeli forces, calling it an assault on Gaza and international solidarity.

Following the halt of more than a dozen boats, the group posted a statement on Instagram declaring: “An attack on the Flotilla is an attack on Gaza and global solidarity.”

The statement went on: “With interception, the zionist regime shows the length of its efforts to starve Gaza. An attack on the Flotilla is an attack on humanity.

“They try to stop us, we escalate. Take the streets, take the ports, take the seas. Challenge the genocidal normality with civilian disobedience. Stop the genocide.”

Colombia president announced the expulsion of all Israeli diplomats from his country after the Israeli military arrested two Colombian nationals during the interception of the flotilla carrying aid into Gaza.

In a statement, the office of Gustavo Petro said the Colombian women “who were engaged in human solidarity activities with Palestine” were detained by Israeli forces.

The two activists were identified as Manuela Bedoya and Luna Barreto.

Mr Petro announced the expulsion of “the entire diplomatic delegation of Israel” on X over what he called “a new international crime” by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Gaza-bound aid flotilla said on Thursday that a number of its boats had been intercepted by Israeli forces while others were still pressing ahead with their mission.

The Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker showed that 15 vessels had been stopped as of 3.48am GMT, with other boats continuing towards the enclave.

In a statement, the group said: “Beyond the confirmed interceptions, live streams and communications with several other vessels have been lost.”

Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla on Wednesday about 70 nautical miles from Gaza, after warning the ships to turn back. The military said the vessels were attempting to breach what it described as a lawful blockade.

Among those halted was a boat carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg.

A flotilla carrying aid to Gaza said on Thursday that dozens of its vessels were still heading towards the Palestinian territory despite being intercepted by Israeli naval forces.

The Global Sumud Flotilla reported that 30 boats were continuing their journey in the early hours of Thursday morning, just 46 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast.

In a post on X at 3.20am local time (0020 GMT), the group said the ships were “still sailing strong … despite the incessant aggressions from the Israeli occupation navy”.

Flotilla spokesperson Saif Abukeshek said Israeli forces had intercepted 13 vessels carrying around 200 passengers, many of them from Spain and Italy.