ISRAEL PERSPECTIVE

Tel Aviv, May 19, 2026. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, rejecting accusations of violence and reaffirming the legal legitimacy of the naval blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007. The 50 vessels of the flotilla, which departed from southern Turkey for a third attempt after two previous missions were also intercepted, were all intercepted in the eastern Mediterranean. The 430 participants, citizens of over 40 countries, including 78 Turks, were transferred to Israeli ships and taken to Israel, where authorities confirmed they could meet with their consular representatives.

In response to images broadcast live by the flotilla showing shots fired at two ships, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically replied: "At no point were real munitions fired." Soldiers would have used "non-lethal means directed at the vessels, not at the protesters, as a warning," after several warnings went unanswered. The Ministry emphasized that no injuries were reported among the activists during the operation, insisting on the control and proportionality exercised by the engaged forces.

The central argument of Jerusalem is the cargo itself: according to the Ministry, no humanitarian aid was found on board the ships. This assertion aims to turn the narrative of the operation against its organizers. Far from being a rescue mission, the flotilla would be, in official terms, "nothing more than a communication coup in service of Hamas." The naval blockade is presented as a legal and necessary instrument for Israel's security, which "will not allow anyone to violate it," regardless of the banner under which the attempts to cross are made.

Washington has explicitly and publicly supported this reading. The US Treasury announced sanctions against four people associated with what it calls a "pro-Hamas" flotilla. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the mission as "a ridiculous attempt to undermine President Trump's progress towards a durable peace in the region," announcing that Washington would continue to dismantle Hamas support networks around the world. This American-Israeli alignment reinforces Jerusalem's position, even if Ankara's condemnation - President Erdogan having described the interception as "piracy and brigandage" - exposes the growing fracture between Israel and several NATO allies.