Live: Israel makes unlawful interception of Alma vessel, as Sumud Flotilla reaches 'decisive moment'

https://www.middleeasteye.net/live/israel-rejects-hamas-truce-offer-thousands-forced-flee-gaza-city

Israeli soldiers have boarded the Alma vessel, Middle East Eye can report. Alma is a the lead vessel of the Sumud Flotilla. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, told MEE.

Albanese said the interception is unlawful under two basic premises. Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip is illegal under international law, Albanese said, adding, "it makes no sense whatsoever."

The flotilla is roughly 80 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza. Territorial waters extend for maximum 12 nautical miles.

392 points · 43 comments · view on lemmy.world

43 Comments

Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 75 pts · 350d (5 replies)

Italian & Spanish warships ... just spontaneously sunk themselves to avoid doing anything?

rozodru@piefed.social · 75 pts · 350d (4 replies)

They were only going to escort them up to a certain point, Israel was waiting for that point, once the flotilla reached said point they were on their own and then Israel struck.

Mirshe@lemmy.world · -7 pts · 350d (3 replies)
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geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 51 pts · 350d

The flotilla never enters Israeli waters. It is sailing to Gaza.

Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 43 pts · 350d (1 reply)

First of all:

The territorial waters of Israel extend into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline.

wiki/Geography_of_Israel

And second - both counties said they wouldn't defend the flotilla even if Israel attacks them in international waters, they were there only to rescue the survivors after the attack.

IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 350d

ie, fucking useless

keyhoh@piefed.social · 39 pts · 350d (2 replies)

Where is the escort? I thought there were warships escorting the flotilla. Did they disappear?

mrdown@lemmy.world · 76 pts · 350d

They left when they entered the critical zone. This is how enslaved most countries are by this terrorist state

frongt@lemmy.zip · 19 pts · 350d

They were never going to defend them.

ordnance_qf_17_pounder@reddthat.com · 24 pts · 350d
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bdonvr@thelemmy.club · 22 pts · 350d (1 reply)

Have previous efforts had 40+ ships simultaneously?

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 36 pts · 350d

No this is more ships than all previous flotillas combined.

degen@midwest.social · 20 pts · 350d (3 replies)

It sure seems like Israel wants war with checks laundry list Everyone... I'm just confused how external pressures haven't escalated the threat to full-blown WW3. Not that I want it to get there, but the only interpretation I can see is that Israel does.

frongt@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 350d

The people they're antagonizing don't have powerful allies.

M137@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 349d (1 reply)

Eh, I think it's just what always happens: they act like children in the way that they do shit to see what they can get away with.
The reasons for doing so are harder to know, and never exactly the same but generally rooted in hate, fear and narcissim. They start doing shit and examine how the world reacts, then tiptoes the line of what would bring out actual response and get them killed or in any other way stopped.
Then it's about if they get to some kind of place where they feel comfortable and don't push it more or they get overconfident and actually do step over the line and get shut down by any of the many possible ways that can happen.
This happens everywhere all the time in all different levels possible. Between two toddlers at a play date, bosses and their employees all the way to countries and world powers. And in our fictional stories (and possible futures) between planets, solar systems, galaxies and whole universes.

degen@midwest.social · 1 pts · 349d

Yeah, I suppose the idea is that it's always a test to see where the line is. And nobody wants it to go too far, so it ends up with everyone else letting things slide until they simply can't anymore.

It just sucks that the bias seems to be toward letting things get worse, giving in and appeasing before change is truly made and ideals are actually enforced. It's like it's some natural, social song and dance that needs to play out first, and that's just so much more messed up when it pertains to fascism and oppression.

Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 16 pts · 349d

What I'm waiting for here is the reaction of Italian dockworkers to the Italian frigate doing absolutelly nothing when the Sumud Flotilla was attacked by an Israeli force in International Waters, which is literally an act of Piracy.

primrosepathspeedrun@anarchist.nexus · 10 pts · 350d (13 replies)

I'm sure this will end bloodlessly with the food and stuff getting through.

mrdown@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 350d (11 replies)
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village604@adultswim.fan · 19 pts · 350d (1 reply)

I think they were being sarcastic.

mrdown@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 350d
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blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 350d (7 replies)

You're one of those people who rely on the "/s" aren't you

primrosepathspeedrun@anarchist.nexus · 8 pts · 350d

/s is for cowards and people not irony poisoned enough to give the rest of the building cancer.

mrdown@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 350d
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Jarix@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 350d (4 replies)

In today's world that's not the insult you think it is

blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 350d (3 replies)

It wasn't even meant as an insult. I came from Reddit where any sarcastic comment needed an /s because the majority of redditors are too stupid to acknowledge sarcasm or irony

Jarix@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 350d (2 replies)

Oh. The format you used I've only ever seen it was used to put people down

blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 350d (1 reply)

Nah, I don't know you, I've got no reason to put you down

Jarix@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 349d

I was just commenting. Wasn't me you said it to

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 350d

I hope it's a troll account

SulaymanF@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 349d

I still have yet to hear about the previous flotilla supplies being delivered. As far as I know, Israel just warehoused it and says it will get there “eventually” once Netanyahu allows the blockade to end (when hell freezes over of course).

MrSulu@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 349d

Who is meant to uphold the law here? Even if it was the UK, I suspect our esteemed (not!) Leaders would find a simple reason not to.

gedaliyah@lemmy.world · -82 pts · 350d (15 replies)

115 tons of aid have entered Gaza from Israel/Egypt since the start of this flotilla.

The flotilla is carrying less than half of that.

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 67 pts · 350d (3 replies)

Reminder this person is a mod on one of the biggest .world communities.

Presently42@lemmy.ca · 38 pts · 350d

Ah, so that's why people are saying to avoid .world

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 15 pts · 350d

At least it's just a news one. Nothing important or negative would appear there

garbagebagel@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 350d

Thanks, guess I'm making a new account.

garbagebagel@lemmy.world · 40 pts · 350d

Its meant to be symbolic aid and a breaking of the siege.

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 36 pts · 350d

Which is also far less than the area needs. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/31/the-mathematics-of-starvation-how-israel-caused-a-famine-in-gaza

But yay Israel not even doing bare minimum to prevent starvation?

thisnameisnottolong@piefed.au · 18 pts · 350d

And now justify the illegal blockade and the targeting of civilian vessels in international waters.

theacharnian@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 350d

At gunpoint. At killing fields. By a racist bunch of gangsters. During a fucking genocide.

Still the numbers are irrelevant. The point of the flotilla is to challenge the illegal and immoral blockade of Gaza by the genocidal Israeli apartheid regime. Even if they were carrying a single can of baby formula, the flotilla would still be immensely meaningful.

mrdown@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 350d (3 replies)

Where did you get this information?

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 3 pts · 349d (2 replies)

Israeli state accounts probably

mrdown@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 349d (1 reply)

Don't you mean propaganda accounts?

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 4 pts · 349d

Exactly the same these days but totally what that particular user would claim

HarneyToker@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 349d (1 reply)

Aaaand he’s gone. Don’t worry about the position of a man who will not defend said position.

goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 344d

Also mod on the lemmy world news comm...🙃

null@lemmy.nullspace.lol · 2 pts · 349d

And?