Zionist Navy Fails to Stop Gaza-Bound Flotilla as Ships Push Through Blockade Attempts

A spokesman for the Maghreb branch of the Global Sumud Flotilla said early Wednesday that a Zionist naval maneuver to intercept the Gaza-bound aid convoy had failed, with the ships pressing ahead toward their destination despite multiple attempts to block them.

Wael Naouar, speaking through Facebook, said the Zionist navy first tried to stop the lead ship Alma, but the remaining vessels bypassed the blockade. He added that a second attempt was made when Zionist forces redirected toward another lead vessel, Sirius, but once again, the flotilla continued unhindered. “The Zionist vessels today intercepted Alma, the lead ship, but the other ships ignored Alma and continued toward Gaza,” Naouar said. He added that when the flotilla regrouped around Sirius, the Zionist navy shifted focus but “the rest of the flotilla ignored Sirius and continued their journey to Gaza.”

Zionist warships then attempted to break through the flotilla from multiple sides to disperse it, but according to Naouar, all ships successfully maneuvered and stayed on course. He described the incident as a test of determination, declaring: “Even if you stop 47 vessels, the 48th will continue on to Gaza.” Earlier in the day, a large Zionist warship had been spotted near the flotilla as organizers reported a state of high alert at sea.

Contact with the Alma was briefly lost after a Zionist vessel came within five feet of the ship, jamming its communications and disabling its engine. According to an Al Jazeera correspondent on board, participants threw their phones into the sea in line with established security protocols. The Zionist vessel eventually withdrew, allowing the flotilla to resume course toward Gaza.

The aid convoy, which seeks to challenge the Zionist entity’s blockade of the enclave, announced it is now about 121 nautical miles from the shores of Gaza. The mission comes as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza deepens, with the Zionist forces having killed more than 66,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—since October 2023. The bombardment has left the territory uninhabitable, plunging its population into starvation and disease.