Dozens of activists from a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla were disembarked in Greece on Friday after Israeli forces intercepted and seized multiple vessels in international waters near Crete, escalating a diplomatic dispute over the legality of the operation and the ongoing blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist observed the group arriving under Greek coast guard escort, with around 175 activists transported by bus to an undisclosed location.
Israeli authorities said the same number had been removed from more than 20 boats intercepted on Thursday, while flotilla organisers maintained the figure was higher at 211, highlighting conflicting accounts over the scale of the operation.
The interception took place roughly 1,000 kilometres from Israel, where the Israeli navy blocked what organisers described as the largest coordinated attempt yet to breach the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The flotilla, which departed from Sicily, carried humanitarian supplies and activists from multiple countries aiming to challenge restrictions in place since 2007 and press for a permanent aid corridor.
