The Defense Ministry said Wednesday that 11 people, including three Turkish nationals, were evacuated from the Sumud flotilla heading to Gaza as part of ongoing humanitarian aid operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The ministry noted that the evacuations were carried out from civilian vessels sailing in the region.
The evacuations took place as Sumud reported that Israeli vessels approached and encircled two of its boats with "dangerous and intimidatory maneuvers," causing navigation and communication blackouts as the group neared the war-torn territory.
"As part of the humanitarian aid activities carried out with civilian ships in the Eastern Mediterranean, a total of 11 people, including three Turkish citizens who requested assistance, have been evacuated to shore by our Naval Forces elements," the ministry said in a statement.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which includes activists from around the world, including Turkish nationals, departed from Barcelona earlier this month, aiming to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.
The vessel was located in international waters between Crete, the island of Cyprus and Egypt when it issued a distress call early Monday.
