The IDF completed on Tuesday the takeover of the pro-Palestinian flotilla that departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris, allegedly en route to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid. The Foreign Ministry said 430 activists are being transported to Israel.
In its statement on the completion of the takeover, the Foreign Ministry said: “The flotilla once again proved it is nothing more than a PR stunt in the service of Hamas. Israel will continue to act in accordance with international law and will not allow any breach of the legal naval blockade on Gaza.”
The Israeli Eurovision 2026 entry “Michelle” is played in the Turkish flotilla
Shayetet 13 and Shayetet 3 forces operated to take control of the vessels in the Cyprus area, far from Israel’s territorial waters. The forces first boarded the lead and largest ships of the flotilla in an attempt to cause the rest to turn back, but ultimately completed the takeover.
Upon seizing the vessels, the soldiers transferred the activists to a “floating prison” from where they are being taken to the port of Ashdod for detention and questioning. Israel will later decide which activists will be detained and which will be deported.
Documentation from the Turkish flotilla on its way to Gaza
During the takeover of the vessels, the soldiers fired rubber bullets in several cases to deter ships that did not obey instructions and failed to stop, but according to the IDF, there were no injuries or unusual incidents during the operation.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry denied claims made in Turkey that the Navy opened live fire on the flotilla. The ministry stressed that “at no stage was live ammunition fired. After repeated warnings, non-lethal means were used against the vessels and not against protesters as a warning. No protesters were harmed during the incident.”
During the operation, the IDF remotely accessed the flotilla’s communications network and played songs on loop to the activists, including “Michelle,” performed by Noam Bettan as Israel’s Eurovision entry on Saturday night. Activists also reported hearing Britney Spears’ “Oops!... I Did It Again.”
Several weeks earlier, the Navy carried out a similar takeover of another flotilla made up of dozens of vessels. The IDF has developed a structured plan for handling such flotillas, centered on intercepting vessels as far from Israel as possible and carrying out relatively non-violent takeovers, a process that also takes time. The distance from Israel’s territorial waters gives the forces room to operate in a controlled manner.