The Israeli foreign ministry said it would deport to Europe pro-Palestinian activists on board vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla that were intercepted by Israeli naval forces.
Greg Stoker, an American veteran aboard one of the boats in the flotilla, said around a dozen naval vessels with their transponders off had approached it.
One of the flotilla's main vessels, the Alma "was aggressively circled by an Israeli warship for several minutes" the group, whose name means "steadfastness" in Arabic, said in the statement.
