Türkiye evacuates passengers after Global Sumud Flotilla ship breaks down

ANKARA

A Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Sept. 29 continued to sail on the final leg of its route, with Türkiye coordinating the evacuation of the crew of one of the boats that took on water in the Mediterranean.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a humanitarian maritime convoy of around 40 vessels, set sail from Barcelona earlier this month to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge the Israeli blockade.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for "resillence,"carries over 300 people, including activists, politicians, doctors and journalists.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish actor Eduardo Fernandez and former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau are among those who are on the vessel.

The flotilla is expected to reach Gaza within three to four days, according to organizers. The ships will pass through high-risk areas on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, amid concerns over a possible Israeli intervention.

Israel, which prevented two previous flotilla attempts in June and July, has reiterated that it will not allow the convoy to reach Gaza.

Israeli media reported that the army plans to intercept the flotilla around 180 kilometers off the coast on the night of Sept. 30.

According to the reports, commandos from the elite Shayetet 13 naval unit would board the ships, detain the crews for four to five days and deport them unless they sign a document acknowledging Israeli sovereignty over Gaza — a demand organizers have rejected.

Recent Israeli naval exercises reportedly simulated such interventions while minimizing potential harm to crew members.

Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to assist the international aid flotilla after it came under drone attack while trying to deliver aid to Gaza.

Türkiye evacuates passengers after ship breaks down

Meanwhile, the vessel Johnny M, located in the Mediterranean between Crete, Cyprus and Egypt, sent a distress call early on Sept. 29 morning after its engine compartment began taking on water.

Passengers aboard the vessel, who hailed from countries including Luxembourg, France, Finland, Mexico and Malaysia, were safely evacuated by the Turkish Red Crescent and other authorities.

“There is no sunken ship, only a technical malfunction,” said Captain Semih Fener of the vessel Alma, which assisted in the operation.

“We evacuated 12 people from Johnny M and distributed them to other ships. Four passengers will return home via Türkiye,” the captain explained.

He added that the evacuees expressed gratitude to Türkiye and the Turkish Red Crescent for their assistance.

Israel's offensive has killed 66,005 Palestinians, the vast majority being civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory.

Another important agenda of the war in Gaza was a high-stakes meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White house on Sept. 29.

Trump says a deal to end the nearly two-year war, free hostages held by Hamas and disarm the Palestinian militants is effectively done following talks with Arab and Muslim leaders last week.

"ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER," he posted on Truth Social on Sept. 28. "WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!"