Israeli forces intercept the remaining activist flotilla vessels headed for Gaza

Key points

• Israeli forces on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) intercepted all remaining vessels from an activist flotilla attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, the latest effort to highlight the grim conditions for nearly 2 million Palestinians with severe shortages of housing, food and medicine.
• A live feed on the Global Sumud Flotilla website showed armed Israeli soldiers boarding the vessels as activists in life vests put their hands up.
• Soldiers then destroyed cameras mounted on the vessels.
• Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for an urgent review of Israel’s use of force after Italian activists said soldiers fired rubber bullets at vessels.
• Flotilla organizers claimed Israeli soldiers fired on five boats during the interdictions, with some damage.