Israeli military forces have intercepted boats travelling with the Global Sumud Flotilla, using drones, communications jamming technology and armed raiding parties, to halt the humanitarian fleet in the middle of the Mediterranean, according to organisers and Israeli media.“Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as ‘Israel’, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons, ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,” the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission said on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“Israeli military boats have illegally surrounded the flotilla in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence,” the flotilla said in a post on social media.“Communication with 11 vessels have been lost and Israeli media claims that 7 boats have been intercepted. Governments must act now to protect the flotilla.”Israel Army Radio cited an Israeli source as saying it began seizing control of the aid ships heading towards Gaza and that seven of the 58 vessels in the Global Sumud Flotilla had been captured near the Greek island of Crete.Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, described Israel’s boarding of its vessels as “a straight-up attack on unarmed civilian boats in international waters”.Speaking to Al Jazeera from Toronto, Canada, Tsabar said the sea assault was taking place “hundreds of miles from Israel”, with the floti …
