The operation, which began on Wednesday evening, lasted for just over twelve hours, according to the Israeli navy.
"When the operation was over, over 400 participants had been safely transferred to (the port city of) Ashdod for further processing by the Israeli police," the statement reads.
One of the convoy's approximately 45 boats, which was in the rear and had traveled a bit south of the others, has not yet been stopped, according to Global Sumud Flotilla's own GPS.
This is confirmed by Israel. The boat will be stopped if it tries to proceed towards Gaza, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement, where he praises the navy for the operation.
In a picture published by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on X on Thursday morning, several of the activists, including Swedish Greta Thunberg, can be seen leaning back in a boat.
Deported
The activists are called "Hamas-Sumud passengers" by Israel and are said to be on their way to Israel from international waters, to be deported back to Europe.
But this time it may be different, fears Miriam Azem from the organization Adalah, which represents the activists with legal assistance.
Due to the smear campaigns that Israel has conducted in recent days, we know from our long experience with Israeli authorities that they are often presented to legitimize violence and oppression. So it raises some concern, she tells TT.
Several people connected to the convoy have been accused of having close ties to Hamas, including after pictures of them in meetings with political representatives of the terrorist-classified organization were discovered. The convoy's stated goal has been to deliver emergency aid to Gaza.
Water cannons
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated on Wednesday evening that his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, had assured him that the soldiers had received clear orders not to use violence against the activists.
The activists claim, however, that the Israeli soldiers used water cannons against some of the vessels, reports the Finnish Yle.
The Israeli operation began just before 8:30 pm on Wednesday.
