Fake news: The Global Sumud Flotilla ship Mikeno successfully evaded Israeli forces and reached Gaza with aid, greeted by cheering crowds.
Flotilla vessels, carrying over 500 activists and supplies, were intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces in international waters.
Fact Check: False Reports of Aid Ship Mikeno Breaking Israeli Blockade, Reaching Gaza Amid Flotilla Interceptions
False reports of the aid Flotilla breaching the Israeli blockade and arriving at Gaza have circulated shortly after the news of the Flotilla being intercepted by Israeli forces.
Summary
In the midst of the news that Israeli vessels had intercepted the aid efforts of the Global Sumund Flotilla and its fleet of 47 boats, reports that one ship, Mikeno, had managed to evade capture and successfully dock in Gaza.
The official account of the Global Sumund Flotilla on X broke the news, stating that Mikeno has passed the siege and arrived in Gaza with aid. Mikeno managed to evade capture by Israeli forces by consistently switching its location on and off for several hours, the post added.
The tweet read, "#GlobalSumudFlotilla SHIP, MIKENO, BREAKS THE SIEGE ON #GAZA BY ARRIVING IN GAZA!!!!!!!!!!"
It also wrote that the ship was received with jubilation by Gazans who had been awaiting its arrival throughout the previous night.
However, a short while later, the same account deleted its tweet and verified that the news of Mikeno reaching Gaza was false.
They wrote, "The reports about Mikeno making it to #Gaza were false. After verification on the ground, the post about Mikeno making it to the shores of Gaza has been EFFECTIVELY removed from our wall!"
According to AFP reports, Israel too verified that there had been no breach in its blockade.
Additionally, Israel claimed that it will deport pro-Palestinian activists on the aid flotilla intercepted at sea as they headed towards Gaza.
The Israeli ships with Global Sumud Flotilla activists has docked at the Port of Ashdod, according to reports.
Israel Intercepts Flotilla
Earlier today, the Flotilla had reported that they had been intercepted by Israeli vessels while on the way to Gaza. The fleet carried more than 500 activists and aid supplies for Gaza.
“Multiple vessels of Global Sumud Flotilla – notably Alma, Sirius, Adara – were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said in a statement.
“In addition to the boats confirmed to be intercepted, live-stream coverage and communication has been lost with multiple other boats. We are diligently working to account for all participants and crew,” GSF said.
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Israel has tightened its siege on Gaza under the guise of attempting to stop those supplies from falling into the hands of Hamas. Israel and other governments had urged the activists several times to halt their voyage.
International aid agencies have been attempting to get food and medicine into the Palestinian territory, but say Israel is restricting the flow of supplies, the BBC reported.
The flotilla, which set sail in late August, is transporting medicine and food to Gaza and consists of more than 40 civilian vessels with about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists. It's the highest-profile symbol of opposition to Israel's blockade of Gaza.
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