The State Prosecutor's Office has submitted a request to the Haifa District Court to permanently confiscate 50 foreign vessels that attempted to breach the maritime blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, as part of the "Sumud Flotilla."
According to the petition, a significant number of the vessels were owned by the Hamas terror organization. The request is based on international law, which grants states the right to seize vessels attempting to violate a maritime blockade, and gives courts the authority to order their confiscation.
The State argued that the "Sumud Flotilla," which arrived in the area last month, was unprecedented in its scale and planning, stating that “the vessels involved in the flotilla posed a deliberate operational challenge to the Israeli Navy, with Hamas playing a major role in its execution.”
According to the petition, 41 vessels were intercepted on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), with an additional nine detained about a week later. Authorities reported that the ships carried only a minimal amount of humanitarian supplies - “less than 5 tons in total” - which, the petition stressed, reveals the flotilla organizers’ true intent: to break the blockade or provoke a media spectacle.
The State further alleged that Hamas financed the flotilla, coordinated with international organizations, and purchased vessels through a front company owned by a member of PCPA, an organization established by Hamas. These actions, the State stressed, reflect serious security concerns that justify a “firm legal response” and permanent confiscation.
The Prosecution emphasized in its request that seizing the vessels is necessary to send a “clear deterrent message” to actors working against the State of Israel. It also noted that intelligence has recently surfaced indicating plans to organize another large-scale flotilla and efforts to gather additional vessels by the organizers.