Israeli forces have intercepted the flotilla 120km off the coast of Gaza and detained all three New Zealand participants.

11.50am: This post has been updated with comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

1.15pm: This post has now been updated to include a reference to a video posted by a third New Zealand participant saying he has been detained

What’s going on? 

This morning, 18-year-old New Zealander Samuel Leason has appeared in a video on social media saying he has been illegally abducted by Israel while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. “Kia ora, my name is Samuel Leason. I come from Aotearoa, New Zealand,” he said. “If you are watching this video, I have been kidnapped by the IOF [Israeli occupation forces] and taken to Israel against my will. Tell my government to end this complicity with Israel, and to bring me home.”

A few hours later, New Zealander Rana Hamida, also involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla, posted a similar pre-recorded message. “My name is Rana Hamida, and I am a citizen of Aotearoa, New Zealand. If you are watching this video, I have been abducted and taken against my will by Israeli occupation forces. Our humanitarian mission was non-violent and abiding by international laws.” 

A similar video of the other New Zealander participating in the flotilla, Youssef Sammour, has now also been posted.

Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has confirmed the interception overnight.“Multiple vessels of Global Sumud Flotilla… were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” the statement reads. “In addition to the boats confirmed to be intercepted, live-stream coverage and communication has been lost with multiple other boats. We are diligently working to account for all participants and crew.” 

In a post on X, Israel’s foreign ministry said several vessels in the flotilla had been “safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”. The Guardian reported that at least 20 Israeli military vessels intercepted the flotilla roughly 120km off the coast of Gaza, ordering the boats to change course before boarding them when the activists did not comply.

What is the Global Sumud Flotilla? 

Three New Zealanders are sailing to Gaza as a part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is made up of more than 50 boats and 500 people from all over the world. The flotilla is attempting to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to the region, which has been described as “the hungriest place on Earth” and “gasping for water”. With more than 66,000 Palestinians killed by Israel over the last two years, a UN commission of inquiry has declared that Israel is committing a genocide.

“We are a coalition of everyday people – organisers, humanitarians, doctors, artists, clergy, lawyers, and seafarers – who believe in human dignity and the power of nonviolent action,” the Global Flotilla mission statement reads. “Our efforts build on decades of Palestinian resistance and international solidarity. Though we belong to/hold different nations, faiths, and political beliefs, we are united by a single truth: the siege and genocide must end.” 

Israel says the sole purpose of the flotilla is “provocation”. Earlier this morning New Zealand time, its foreign ministry posted, “Israel has informed the flotilla that it is approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade. Israel reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.”

Isn’t this the thing that Greta Thunberg did? 

Indeed – Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is part of this flotilla and has also been detained. Earlier this year, Thunberg was a part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which attempted to deliver supplies including food, baby formula and medical supplies to the region. On June 9 she was one of the 12 crew members unlawfully detained by the Israeli army after their boat Madleen was seized in the Mediterranean Sea. Two months later, she set sail once more from Barcelona as part of the current Global Sumud Flotilla. “We are sailing again to break the siege and open up a humanitarian corridor,” she said in a video on social media at the time. 

The vessel carrying Thunberg has also been intercepted overnight, with Israel’s foreign ministry having previously said that the country would take “necessary measures” to stop the Global Sumud Flotilla from arriving in Gaza. 

What is the New Zealand government saying? 

Just before 11.30am, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided an emailed statement that said the New Zealand Embassy in Ankara, Türkiye had been in “proactive contact with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the provision of consular services to New Zealanders onboard the flotilla, and our expectations in that regard, should that be requested by any of the participants”. 

The statement said it would not comment on individuals’ cases for privacy reasons, but, “The safety of New Zealanders is paramount. We expect any New Zealanders in the flotilla to be treated in a manner consistent with international law and have communicated this directly to Israel several times.”

New Zealand had “a long-standing ‘do not travel’ advisory in place for Gaza,” said the statement. “The advisory explicitly warns New Zealanders against any attempt to enter Gaza by sea in breach of Israeli navy restrictions, including participation in flotillas to deliver aid.

“Practical consular advice has also been shared with groups that are in touch with New Zealanders onboard the flotilla. Details of MFAT’s consular services is available on the SafeTravel website.”

What else do we know about the New Zealanders involved? 

There are three New Zealand citizens taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla – Samuel Leason, Rana Hamida and Youssef Sammour. Originally from Ōtaki, 18-year-old Leason is the youngest participant in the entire Global Flotilla. “New Zealand has done jack all to help the Palestinians,” he told Ōtaki Today in an interview about his activism. “Our government needs to strongly condemn Israel and actually do something to try and stop the killing.”

Rana Hamida is a Palestinian-Syrian refugee who left her home in Tāmaki Makaurau to join the flotilla. A singer, dancer and DJ, she is frequently seen on social media keeping spirits high through song. “We will continue to face storms,” she said in one Instagram video aboard the Huga. “But we are continuously inspired by Palestinians, by their resilience and their courage and their love for life. We are coming, and we are not alone.” 

Youssef Sammour is a New Zealand Palestinian now on his third flotilla mission to deliver aid to Gaza. “This has never happened before. There’s never been this many ships heading to Gaza as part of a humanitarian fleet in the history of the occupation,” he told RNZ. “We are all very hopeful and we are trusting that it will help and it will make a difference. And if we can’t deliver the aid physically, we’re hoping that it will at least inspire more people to stand up.”

What has happened previously on their voyage? 

The flotilla set sail in late August and early September from various places including Barcelona, Tunis and Genoa, but it hasn’t been smooth sailing, to say the very least. There have been various reports of drone strikes and the use of other incendiary devices by Israeli forces, including on boats carrying New Zealanders. On September 24, Samuel Leason told RNZ that at least nine vessels had been bombed with “some kind of flammable liquid” in the Mediterranean Sea. “If Israel did try to bomb us or try to stop us in some way then what they’d be doing would be completely illegal and wrong,” he said at the time. 

“I hope that our government would ensure there’s retributions for that.”