Video livestreamed from an aid flotilla heading to Gaza captured soldiers firing shots toward at least two of the boats on Tuesday, according to the flotilla organisers, though there were no reports of injuries or deaths.
The footage shows soldiers discharging weapons in the direction of two vessels; the clips do not make the type of ammunition clear. A separate spokesperson for the flotilla said six vessels had been fired upon during the incident.
Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla reported that 44 of their boats were intercepted in the eastern Mediterranean, and that six boats remained at sea following the encounters. Earlier, the group had said there were 426 people participating in the flotilla, representing 39 countries.
The Israeli military declined to comment, stating it had referred questions to the foreign ministry. A foreign ministry spokesperson did not immediately provide a response to queries about the incident. On Monday the foreign ministry said on X that it "will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza" and later called on "all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately."
Speaking in Ankara late on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the intervention against what he described as the flotilla's "voyagers of hope" and urged the international community to respond to Israel's actions.
The current voyage marks the Global Sumud Flotilla's third attempt to reach Gaza after earlier efforts to deliver aid were intercepted in international waters. Aid groups and the flotilla organisers have framed the sailing as an effort to supply humanitarian goods to Gaza, while officials cited maritime enforcement actions that halted a majority of the boats.
In a separate development, the United States Treasury announced it was imposing sanctions on four people it associated with what it described as the "pro-Hamas" flotilla. Pro-Palestinian activists dispute that characterization, saying advocacy for Palestinian rights has been wrongly equated with support for Hamas.
Humanitarian actors and Palestinians say that, despite a ceasefire reached in October that included guarantees of increased aid, supplies reaching Gaza remain insufficient. Most of Gaza's more than 2 million residents have been displaced, many living in bombed-out homes or makeshift tents set up on open ground, by roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings. Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies that it withholds supplies from Gaza's population.
Context and immediate developments
Footage and statements from organisers provide the primary account of Tuesday's events at sea: soldiers fired on several vessels in the aid flotilla, organisers reported 44 boats were intercepted, six vessels continued sailing, and no casualties were reported. Official comment from Israeli authorities has been limited, with some statements reiterating that the naval blockade will be maintained and participants should alter course.
What remains unclear
The livestream clips do not identify the type of ammunition used, and official responses to requests for immediate comment were not forthcoming at the time organisers reported the incidents. Details about the interactions on board the intercepted vessels have not been released beyond the organisers' accounts.