Tensions heightened Gaza aid flotilla stopped - all Swiss "kidnapped by Israel"
The Israeli army has stopped most of the boats in the international Gaza aid flotilla. Swiss citizens are also on board. According to the activists, all of them were arrested.
19.05.2026, 21:55
20.05.2026, 04:35
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- The Israeli navy has stopped a large part of the international Gaza aid flotilla and arrested numerous activists.
- According to the organizers, several Swiss nationals are among them.
- While Israel speaks of a provocation, the activists accuse the army of operating on the high seas in violation of international law.
In the middle of the Mediterranean, the Israeli navy stops an international aid flotilla for Gaza - including boats with Swiss activists on board. The organizers speak of a "kidnapping", Israel of a deliberate provocation. The incident has once again heightened tensions surrounding the war in Gaza.
The navy continued to take action against the Global Sumud Flotilla overnight and took control of more than half of a total of 57 boats, Israeli radio reported on Tuesday. Around 250 activists have been arrested in the operation west of Cyprus so far.
According to the organizers, the Israeli navy had already stopped a Gaza flotilla off Cyprus on Monday. According to the activists, four Swiss nationals were among those arrested, including Lausanne artist Anne Rochat.
Activists: "Kidnapped by Israel"
The organizers of the protest spoke of a "kidnapping" of the activists and announced that ten boats were still on their way to the Gaza Strip. More than 40 others have been stopped since Monday.
An Instagram post by Swiss Global Sumud on Tuesday evening showed a total of seven Swiss nationals, all of whom had been arrested. "All 7 Swiss nationals kidnapped by Israel in international waters," the post read.
The deployment of the Israeli army 250 nautical miles from Gaza against the aid flotilla is "another illegal aggression on the high seas", according to a statement on the organization's website. The aim of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla was to "establish a humanitarian corridor and break Israel's illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip".
Israel: No relief supplies found on boats so far
The Israeli Foreign Ministry spoke of a provocation and announced that no humanitarian aid had been found on the boats so far. The Israeli news portal "ynet" reported that the activists were to be taken to a navy ship with a "floating prison" after their arrest. From there, they were to be taken to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. In the past, international activists have always been deported back to their home countries after a while.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Jordan, Indonesia, Spain, Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Bangladesh, Colombia, Libya and the Maldives condemned "the renewed Israeli attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people".
FDFA has pointed out risks
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has not yet received any information from the Israeli authorities regarding the situation of the Swiss participants, it announced on Tuesday. The FDFA has called on the relevant authorities in Israel to respect the fundamental rights of the flotilla participants and to comply with international law and the law of the sea.
The Swiss delegation had been expressly informed by the FDFA of the considerable risks involved. Swiss nationals who had decided to take part in the Gaza flotilla despite these explicit warnings were "acting negligently and at their own risk". According to the Swiss Abroad Act, consular assistance can be refused or restricted in such cases.
