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ISTANBUL: Israeli forces opened fire towards at least two vessels sailing in an aid flotilla bound for Gaza on Tuesday, according to video footage and the flotilla organisers, but there were no reports of any casualties.
Video from the flotilla’s livestream showed soldiers firing shots at two of the boats, but the type of ammunition was not clear. Another spokesperson for the flotilla said six vessels had been fired at.
The organisers said that Israeli forces had intercepted 44 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean and six boats were still sailing.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of 10 countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain, on Tuesday issued a joint statement strongly condemning the renewed Israeli assaults against the Gaza flotilla.
“Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people,” said the joint statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
The ministers recalled with grave concern the Israeli interventions against previous flotillas in international waters and condemned the continuation of hostile acts targeting civilian vessels and humanitarian activists.
“Such assaults, including attacks against the vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists, constitute blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law,” they viewed.
The ministers expressed concern over the safety and security of the civilian participants of the flotilla and called for the immediate release of all detained activists, as well as for full respect for their rights and dignity.
They stressed that repeated attacks against peaceful humanitarian initiatives reflected the continued disregard for international law and freedom of navigation. They called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian missions.
Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026
