Gaza city: Organizers of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla said Wednesday that another Israeli naval vessel had approached the convoy, the second such attempt at intimidation in less than 24 hours.

According to Anadolu Agency, the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza stated on the US social media platform X that an Israeli ship moved close to the Alma, the flotilla's flagship. The statement highlighted that the Israeli ship approached the Alma, the lead ship of the Sumud Flotilla, before moving away.

The latest incident follows an earlier report where organizers mentioned that Israeli naval forces conducted an intimidatory operation against the flotilla. This involved circling the Alma and another vessel, the Sirius, disabling communications, and forcing evasive maneuvers to prevent collision. These actions occurred as the aid flotilla was 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) from Gaza.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition noted that the vessels are continuing their journey despite being approached twice by unidentified vessels believed to be part of the Israeli navy. On Sunday, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that Israel was preparing to seize the ships, reflecting past operations against aid vessels such as the Madleen and Handala, intercepted in June and July.

The flotilla, primarily carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies, embarked several days ago aiming to break the Israeli blockade. This marks a significant effort, as it is the first time in years that dozens of ships have sailed together toward Gaza, which houses around 2.4 million Palestinians and has been under Israeli blockade for approximately 18 years.

Israel further intensified the siege in March by closing all border crossings and blocking food, medicine, and aid, leading to famine conditions in Gaza despite aid trucks accumulating at its borders. The Israeli army's actions have resulted in the deaths of over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The ongoing bombardment has made the enclave nearly uninhabitable, causing starvation and the spread of disease.