Austin Veteran Detained by Israeli Forces on Gaza Aid Flotilla

One of the more than 40 boats being used by the Global Sumud Flotilla before the mission's launch. The flotilla is attempting to block the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip in order to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

Courtesy of the Global Sumud Flotilla

An army veteran from Austin who has spent the last month on a boat sailing from Spain to the Gaza strip for a humanitarian aid mission is being detained by Israeli forces while in international waters.

Greg Stoker is taking part on a mission to break Israel's sea blockade on the region. The Global Sumud Flotilla includes more than 40 boats carrying about 500 civilians and humanitarian supplies, with the goal of delivering aid to Palestinians in the Gaza strip. In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday afternoon, Stoker said part of the fleet had been stopped by 10 to 12 Israeli Navy vessels.

"They are currently hailing our vessels, telling us to turn to turn off our engines and await further instructions, or our boats will be seized and will face the consequences," Stoker said.

The fleet is currently around 70 to 80 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, according to Stoker. He said that the larger boats in the group have been boarded by Israelis, and that two boats have been hit with water cannons. Stoker's boat, the "veterans' boat" named Ohwayla, is still being tracked on the Flotilla website and has not yet been listed as seized. While detailing the water cannons in a video, Stoker said it might be his last post before his boat was possibly detained, saying, "I think we're gonna come to an end of this, potentially."

Stoker and other activists say the boats have also been hit with physiological attacks by the Israeli military throughout their journey. Stoker reported last Tuesday that a quadcopter drone dropped "a little popper" on the deck of their boat. He added that their radio channel had been hijacked, with the intruders playing ABBA music over the frequency.

Spain and Italy dispatched naval ships to escort or monitor the flotilla, which launched Sept. 1, though the Mediterranean, although their role is limited to humanitarian support, not military engagement.

The Israeli government has claimed the Global Sumud Flotilla has ties to Hamas, but the flotilla’s organizers have rejected those allegations. Israeli forces intercepted another flotilla back in June, detaining the demonstrators, including activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg is also on board one of the vessels in the flotilla intercepted Wednesday. Other notable members of the flotilla include European lawmakers and the grandson of Nelson Mandela.