Shayetet 13 elite unit fighters have begun an operation to take control of the Gaza-bound flotilla, which set sail from Turkey.
The operational activity by the naval commando forces is taking place hundreds of nautical miles from Israel’s shores.
The forces are operating in the heart of the sea with the goal of halting the progress of the vessels, which are seeking to reach the coast of Gaza in an attempt to break the blockade.
The flotilla consists of 57 vessels that departed last week from Marmaris, Turkey, carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists.
The IHH, an organization that was behind the Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010, during which activists attacked Shayetet 13 fighters with knives and clubs, seized a soldier’s weapon, and opened fire at the force, is involved in the current flotilla.
Israeli officials have made clear that they will not allow the vessels to breach the naval blockade, and in recent days the IDF prepared for a physical takeover operation involving Shayetet 13 fighters and Israeli Navy forces.