Lisbon, Oct. 1, 2025 (Lusa) - The government has reiterated its appeal to the Portuguese activists on board the flotilla that intends to take humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip to stay in international waters, warning of "very serious risks".
"Given the information available on the current location of the flotilla, we appeal to you once again not to leave international waters; leaving that space entails very serious risks of which you will certainly be aware," wrote Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel to Left Bloc leader Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activist Miguel Duarte.
In the message, to which the Lusa news agency had access, the head of Portuguese diplomacy recalls that the Italian frigates that have volunteered to provide consular and humanitarian aid will not leave international waters.
The Israeli Navy has said it is ready to intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of more than 50 vessels bound for Gaza, which is due to enter the Israeli danger zone on Tuesday night.
"Without jeopardising respect for individual autonomy, we leave this new appeal and remind you that there is effective availability to get the humanitarian aid you are transporting to Gaza through Cyprus," the government insisted.
This proposal, put forward by Italy and which would have the collaboration of the Catholic Church, has already been rejected by the activists, who say they want to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
In the same message, Rangel says that the Italian authorities have reiterated this request not to leave this international maritime domain.
"The protection they have assured us can only be given in this space," he emphasised.
The Israeli Navy plans to transfer the activists to a large military ship and tow the boats to Ashdod harbour, with the possibility of some being sunk at sea, military sources told Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
Israel has reiterated that it will not allow the flotilla to enter Gaza waters, maintaining the blockade imposed on the Palestinian enclave.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is considered the largest humanitarian flotilla organised to date.
The ongoing war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, which caused around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages.
Israel's retaliation has already caused more than 66,000 deaths, the destruction of almost all of Gaza's infrastructure, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Israel has also imposed a blockade on the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave, where more than 400 people have died of malnutrition and starvation, most of them children.
JH/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
