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Global Sumud Flotilla

The Israeli navy has directed a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid toward Gaza to alter its path, while organizers state that the boats have been boarded.

An international activist coalition posted on social media that several its ships had been entered by "naval troops" after being confronted by Israeli ships and that it was attempting to verify the situation of those on the vessels.

The Israeli government officials declared that the naval forces had instructed the flotilla to change course as it was "approaching an ongoing combat zone". Israel has so far not confirmed that it has taken over any vessels.

Israel has in the past said it would not permit the aid mission to arrive at its intended location. An earlier attempt resulted in activists taken into custody by Israel's forces and escorted to shore.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed the flotilla had been notified it was "breaching a legitimate maritime closure" that applies to the waters next to the Gaza Strip—however it is unclear if the boats had entered the blockade zone.

The Global Sumud Flotilla announced multiple ships, among them the Alma, as well as the Surius and the Adara, had been intercepted.

Prior to that, it accused the Israel's military of "deliberately interfering with ship communication systems, in an effort to prevent distress signals and halt the livestream of their illegal boat interception".

Several ship webcams are still livestreaming and depict participants aboard the vessels.

It added that the convoy was 70 nautical miles from the Gaza coast.

The Global Sumud Flotilla stated it hoped its vessels would dock on the Gaza's shoreline on Thursday.

France's top diplomat the French official additionally stated the GSF aid mission was being boarded.

He declared in a official communication that France had worked to guarantee "that any potential interception action would take place under the optimal security circumstances".

The Italian foreign minister said he had been reassured by Israel that its armed forces would not resort to violence against the 500 people on board, among them Italian politicians and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The Italian official said: "The interception was planned, we are talking about it... with Israeli officials so that there would be no aggressive steps on the part of the Israeli armed forces, and that has been promised to me."

Israeli forces has previously prevented two efforts by protesters to transport aid by ship to Gaza, in the month of June and the month of July.

Earlier, Italian authorities and Greek officials urged the Israeli government to ensure the safety and security of the activists and announced they were closely monitoring events.