Israeli forces have detained 11 Australians after intercepting Gaza-bound flotilla

Israeli forces have detained 11 Australians after their navy intercepted ships seeking to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, flotilla organisers say.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) also said it believed the Australians had been detained and was “urgently seeking confirmation” of their welfare.

There were more than 50 ships in the flotilla and dozens were intercepted off the coast of Cyprus on Monday.

Organisers say the Australians are Anny Mokotow, Bianca Webb-Pullman, Neve O’Connor, Violet Coco, Gemma O’Toole, Sam Woripa Watson, Zack Schofield, Helen O’Sullivan, Juliet Lamont, Isla Lamont and Surya McEwan.

The group’s media delegate said their whereabouts and wellbeing were unknown.

The delegate said so far Israel had boarded more than 38 boats of the flotilla and detained an estimated 400 people from almost 50 countries, “before sinking or destroying many of the boats, which carried a combined hundreds of tonnes of aid”.

Speaking at a Melbourne press conference on Tuesday, the families of some of the Australian participants called for their safe release and urged the Albanese government to condemn what they call an act of “piracy”. 

“We are terrified about Gemma’s wellbeing,” mother Susie O’Toole said.

“We demand the Australian government do everything it can to bring her home safely, to end the two-way arms trade with Israel, [and] expel the Israeli ambassador to Australia.”

Human rights lawyer Bernadette Zaydan, who is representing some of the Australians aboard the flotilla, said Israel was holding some of the participants captive in a “prison ship”. 

“In an unprecedented action, Israel has actually occupied international waters,” she said. 

“What Israel has done is it … is caging our citizens who are unarmed, who are not violent, in this prison ship. It is a concern that our government and other governments around the world haven’t sent their navies to rescue their citizens.”

DFAT has repeatedly warned Australians against joining efforts to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

“We understand people want to respond to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but we continue to urge Australians not to join others seeking to break the Israeli naval blockade.

“They will be putting themselves and others at risk of injury, death, arrest or deportation.”

In a social media post on Monday, Israel’s foreign ministry said the country would “not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza” and described the actions of the flotilla as “a provocation for the sake of provocation”.

The flotilla movement has insisted their efforts are needed to highlight the humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza population and Israel’s policies against Palestinians.

Israel has repeatedly criticised efforts to break the blockade as being more about garnering global attention for the activists on board than delivering meaningful aid to the people of Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been contacted for comment on the latest developments.

On Monday night, when the IDF was contacted for comment about the interceptions beginning, it declined to comment.

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Last month, the Israeli military intercepted another flotilla of ships in international waters off the Greek island of Crete, detained the crews and damaged some of the ships, which the flotilla organisers described as an act of piracy on the high seas.

Most were later dropped off in Greece, including three of the Australians who have since joined this latest flotilla.

But two of the most prominent crew members were taken to Israel on allegations of being involved in a terrorist organisation and illegal activity.

Brazilian Thiago Avila and Spaniard Saif Abu Keshek were later released from prison, and their lawyers accused Israel of abuse while in custody — claims Israeli authorities denied.

This is the fourth group in recent months to try to sail to Gaza.

In May last year, a group reported a drone attack against ships near Malta.

A few months later, the Israeli navy intercepted a group off the coast of Egypt, among them Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.