[Photo Credit: Reuters]
Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza with medicine and food, despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back.
It is now within 90 nautical miles of the war-ravaged Strip.
The flotilla organisers said in a statement that they had detected at least 20 vessels on their radar about 3 nautical miles ahead of the fleet.
It is not clear who is operating the vessels. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A live video feed from one of the boats in the flotilla showed passengers in life vests sitting in a circle on deck.
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