(MENAFN) Israeli naval units intercepted a humanitarian flotilla en route to the blockaded Gaza Strip and detained several activists onboard, according to statements released late Wednesday by the mission's organizers.

The initiative, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, reported that Israeli military vessels encircled their boats as they attempted to breach the long-standing maritime blockade imposed on Gaza.

Many activists also claimed that their communications were disrupted, citing signal interference and loss of contact across several of the participating vessels.

The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) verified that a total of 19 ships, including the Alma, Sirius, Adara, and Deir Yassin, were intercepted during the mission.

Numerous activists shared footage online that appeared to show Israeli naval boats approaching their fleet and instructing them to alter their navigation path.

“We are being attacked right now by the Zionist (Israeli) army,” the ICBSG stated on the platform owned by the U.S.-based company X.

“Some ships have already been intercepted, and a state of emergency has been declared aboard all vessels.”

“High Alert. Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline, and vessels have been boarded by military personnel.”

In a further allegation, the committee accused Israeli forces of employing excessive force against the activists.

According to the ICBSG, one of the ships was struck deliberately, and military personnel used water cannons before forcibly entering the boats.

The statement also claimed that peaceful participants, hailing from 50 different nations, were "brutally mistreated" during the operation.

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