Activists abducted during Israeli attack on Gaza aid flotilla launch mass hunger strike

At least 87 activists abducted by Israeli forces during the raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have launched a hunger strike, organisers announced Wednesday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said the detainees are refusing food “in protest of their illegal abduction and in solidarity with the over 9,500 Palestinian hostages held in Israeli dungeons.”

The escalation comes after Israeli troops attacked the Lina al-Nabulsi, the flotilla’s final remaining vessel, in international waters late Tuesday, forcibly seizing the six people on board.

Israel began intercepting the flotilla on Monday, roughly 70 nautical miles west of Cyprus, despite its civilian humanitarian mandate.

The mission departed Marmaris, Turkey, last Thursday, carrying more than 420 participants determined to break Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza and deliver urgently needed aid.

Among those abducted were nine Indonesian citizens, Indonesia’s foreign ministry confirmed. Jakarta demanded the immediate release of the vessels and pledged to use “every diplomatic channel and consular measure” available.

The detainees also include 15 Irish nationals, among them Dr Margaret Connolly, the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly.

Foreign ministers from ten countries, Turkey, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, Colombia, Libya, the Maldives, Pakistan and Jordan, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s attack on the civilian flotilla.

Ten countries condemn Israel’s attack on Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla

“These attacks, including assaults on vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists, constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” the countries said.

“These assaults on vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” the ministers declared.

Poland, too, voiced “great concern” and demanded urgent clarification from Israel.

The fallout expanded Wednesday as Israeli rights group Adalah confirmed the abducted activists had been transferred to Ashdod. The group noted that those taken included international solidarity volunteers, human rights defenders, and medical workers, all forcibly brought into occupied territory after being seized in international waters.

Adalah warned that information on the detainees’ conditions, locations, and legal status remains severely restricted.

The latest assault follows multiple Israeli attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla, including an April 26 raid off Greece during the Spring 2026 mission, where activists later reported sexual violence, physical assault, and degrading treatment in Israeli custody.

A similar operation last October saw Israel intercept around 40 boats, detaining more than 450 activists, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, and European Parliament member Rima Hassan. Many later described severe physical and psychological abuse before being deported.

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