Overview
- The Global Sumud Flotilla, which regrouped after an earlier seizure, left Marmaris on Thursday with more than 50 boats and nearly 500 activists.
- Israeli forces had stopped over 20 boats near Crete on April 30, holding about 175 people and taking Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila to Israel before deporting them.
- Activists describe beatings, sleep deprivation and harsh conditions during detention, while Israeli officials deny abuse and say their forces acted lawfully and without casualties.
- Organizers say the convoy carries medical and relief supplies such as surgical gowns, antibiotics, baby formula and dry food for people in Gaza.
- The latest sailing revives legal and diplomatic disputes over enforcing a blockade in international waters, which drew protests from several countries after the April stop and echoes past confrontations like the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid.