The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has summoned this Thursday the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Israel in Spain, Dana Erlich, to convey the "strongest condemnation" of the Spanish Government for the detention of the Global Sumud Flotilla, intercepted when it was heading towards the Gaza Strip.
The vessel, which was transporting international activists and symbolic aid, was boarded by Israeli forces in international waters south of Greece, approximately one thousand kilometers from the Gazan coast.
Among those arrested are around 175 activists, of whom about thirty are Spanish citizens, according to diplomatic sources.
Formal protest by the Spanish Government
The summons of the Israeli diplomatic representative represents a step of diplomatic pressure by the Spanish Executive, which has wanted to express its rejection of the operation and demand information on the status of the detained citizens.
Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have indicated that both the Spanish embassy and consulate in Israel remain “fully operational”, in coordination with the flotilla organizers and the Consular Emergency Unit.
Minister José Manuel Albares maintains contacts with other countries whose citizens were also traveling aboard the mission.
Operation in international waters
The interception occurred in international waters, which has generated criticism from organizations linked to the flotilla and from some European political sectors that question the legality of the action.
The Global Sumud Flotilla had departed with the objective of heading to Gaza on a civil and symbolic mission, following similar initiatives that in previous months were also intercepted by Israel.
This new incident adds to a series of similar episodes that have occurred in recent months. In October 2025, another flotilla was boarded in similar circumstances, and previously the ship Madleen was also intercepted by Israeli forces.
The Spanish Government has stressed that its priority is the protection of detained citizens and the monitoring of their legal and consular situation. Foreign Affairs insists that work is underway to guarantee immediate assistance and maintain communication with the Israeli authorities.