Alert in the occupation navy to confront a huge Turkish fleet heading to break the Gaza blockade

Media sources revealed an increased state of alert within the Israeli occupation army's navy, in anticipation of the arrival of a new fleet of pro-Palestinian ships departing from Turkish ports. These preparations come just days after an Israeli attack targeted the 'Flotilla of Steadfastness' ships in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, which ended with the abduction of dozens of international solidarity activists.

According to Hebrew reports, the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) is responsible for organizing this new naval movement, the same organization that oversaw the famous 'Mavi Marmara' flotilla in 2010. The ships are expected to sail from the Turkish city of Marmaris towards the Gaza Strip, in a renewed attempt to challenge the naval blockade imposed on the Strip for many years.

Sources indicated that the occupation army's assessments place the upcoming flotilla in the category of 'most important and dangerous' compared to previous movements, as security concerns prevail regarding activists' insistence on reaching Palestinian shores. Based on these assessments, the Israeli navy has prepared reinforced forces and special units for rapid intervention with the aim of intercepting the ships and preventing their advance before they reach the territorial waters of the Strip.

In a related context, activists returning from the 'Flotilla of Steadfastness' gave harsh testimonies about the violations they were subjected to during their detention by the occupation forces last Thursday. Participants who were on board 20 ships confirmed that the occupation soldiers deliberately used excessive force and carried out systematic sabotage targeting navigation, communication, and engine systems, which led to a complete paralysis of ship movement.

Istanbul Airport witnessed on Friday evening the arrival of a private plane carrying 59 international activists, including 18 Turkish citizens, who had been detained among 175 activists during the recent Israeli aggression at sea. Upon their arrival, the activists confirmed that work is underway to prepare a huge flotilla comprising between 100 and 150 ships currently gathering in several Turkish ports in preparation for a collective sailing.

The naval movements are not limited to Turkish ports but also extend to include other European initiatives, as a convoy departed from the Italian island of Sicily as part of the 'Spring 2026 Mission'. This mission had actually begun on April 12 with the departure of 39 boats from the Spanish city of Barcelona, with plans to increase the number of participating ships to exceed one hundred ships departing from Spain, Italy, and Tunisia.

These developments bring back memories of the 'Mavi Marmara' flotilla incident in May 2010, when Israeli commando forces attacked the Turkish ship in international waters, resulting in the martyrdom of 10 solidarity activists and the injury of dozens. That incident caused a deep diplomatic crisis between Ankara and Tel Aviv, and it seems that the scene is repeating itself today with the insistence of international organizations to break the blockade imposed on Gaza.

It is worth noting that the history of attempts to break the naval blockade witnessed limited successes in its early stages, as the ships 'Freedom' and 'Free Gaza' managed to reach the Strip in August 2008. The Qatari ship 'Al-Karama' was the last ship to successfully break the naval cordon and reach Gaza port in December of the same year, before the occupation tightened its military grip and prevented all subsequent attempts.

Estimates indicate that the new flotilla will be more significant than its predecessor, and there are fears of attempts to break the naval blockade by force.