Jerusalem, May 19 (AP): Israeli forces intercepted one of the remaining Gaza flotilla boats, stopping the vessel when it was about 82 nautical miles (around 150 kilometres or 95 miles) from Gaza, according to the flotilla’s website tracker.
A livestream on the website showed Israeli forces in a dinghy pulling up to the boat, called the “Andros,” and activists with their arms in the air.
The screen then went dark with a message saying the boat had been intercepted.
A handful of ships were still within 100 nautical miles of Gaza and sailing toward it as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Israeli navy’s new action resumed a day after the Israeli navy interdicted the activist flotilla in international waters off Cyprus.
It was the latest attempt by the Global Sumud Flotilla to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and underscore the grim living conditions of Palestinians living in the territory.
Dozens of vessels departed from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what flotilla organisers described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza’s shores.
Some 41 boats were intercepted on Monday, with another 10 continuing to sail before the Andros interception, according to Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker.
