At least four Australians attempting to break Israel’s 19-year land and sea blockade and deliver aid to Gaza have been intercepted by Israel in international waters, west of the Greek island of Crete.
Israel’s Defence Forces boarded the vessel carrying 22-year-old Sydney law student Ethan Floyd at about 8.30am on Thursday (AEST), after a warship launched an inflatable tactical boat for interception. Climate activist Zack Schofield, from Newcastle, Melbourne-based GP Bianca Webb-Pullman, and Neve Barwick O’Connor, aboard separate vessels, were intercepted shortly after.
“I have been kidnapped by the Israeli Defence Forces and taken to Israel against my will, alongside other Australians,” Floyd said in a pre-recorded video shared with this masthead, a sentiment echoed by Schofield and Webb-Pullman in their own pre-recorded messages.
Floyd demanded immediate consular assistance from the Australian government. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told this masthead its officials “stand ready to provide consular assistance to any affected Australians” but support available in Israel and Palestine is limited due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“Australian officials are urgently seeking an update on the status of Australians involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla from Israeli authorities,” the spokesperson said, encouraging those wishing to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza to do so through established channels.
“We continue to urge Australians not to join others seeking to break the Israeli naval blockade as they will be putting themselves and others at risk of injury, death, arrest or deportation.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla has confirmed to this masthead that 15 of the 58 vessels sailing to Gaza have been intercepted by Israel. A further eight of the 15 Australians aboard the flotilla are presumed to have been intercepted. The vessels not yet intercepted by Israel are currently heading to Greece, before sailing on to Gaza.
Floyd also urged those watching his video to contact DFAT to secure their swift release. A similar call to action was issued by Australians intercepted by Israel in October.
As a result, more than 1000 calls were made to the Consular Emergency Centre expressing anger at DFAT staff, clogging the frontline service for Australians who are in trouble overseas and require emergency support.
More than 40 vessels left Barcelona, Spain, earlier this month as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Most Australians sailing with the movement joined the flotilla from Italy over the weekend. More vessels were expected to join from ports in Greece and Turkey in the coming days, taking the flotilla to about 100 vessels and 1000 participants.
Had everything gone to plan, it would have been the largest civilian-led maritime humanitarian initiative for Palestine in history.
On Thursday morning, however, the flotilla started losing contact with boats about 650 nautical miles away from Gaza.
In posts shared to X (formerly Twitter), Israel’s foreign affairs ministry linked the Global Sumud Flotilla to Hamas, an allegation the movement has repeatedly denied. It also shared a video claiming the medical aid found on the “PR stunt flotilla” was condoms and drugs.
Israel has intercepted all Gaza-bound flotillas since 2010, so there was a sense of inevitability among participants of capture. But interception usually occurs closer to Israel’s territorial waters, not at least five days away from the “red zone” as with this morning.
“I am absolutely shocked that the Israeli navy feels such impunity to start essentially kidnapping humanitarian volunteers in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea,” Schofield told this masthead from his vessel at about 2am local time, shortly before he was intercepted.
“It’s disturbing they feel empowered to conduct what … is an act of piracy on the high seas … to prevent us to get food and medicine to a dying and starving population.”
Schofield alleged the IDF had been flying drones above the flotilla’s ships for about three hours, “harassing” boats with searchlights, and being “very erratic and unpredictable” with actions he described as psychological warfare.
He was hoping to make it to Greek territorial waters before being intercepted, but his vessel was ultimately boarded by the IDF about 50 nautical miles away. Schofield can be seen with a lifejacket on and his hands on his head in CCTV footage of the interception, as his shipmates throw their phones overboard.
In October, Webb-Pullman, Northern Rivers documentary filmmaker Juliet Lamont, Madeleine Habib and Surya McEwen – who were all sailing with the current maritime mission – were among eight Australian activists detained at Israel’s Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert after 50 vessels were intercepted about 70 nautical miles from Gaza in international waters.
All alleged that Israeli authorities subjected them to violence, threats and maltreatment during detention, and that prisoners were deprived of sleep and drinkable water.
Complicating this mission is that it’s happening after the United States and Israel struck Iran in February. As a result, Australia’s embassy in Tel Aviv is closed due to heightened security concerns.
The level of assistance DFAT provided to flotilla participants in 2025 – which included but was not limited to in-person welfare checks during their detention – therefore cannot be matched.
Accordingly, Foreign Minister Penny Wong asked DFAT officials to meet with a group of participants, including Floyd and Schofield, ahead of their departure earlier this month. In the briefing, DFAT strongly encouraged them not to follow through with the mission.
Since October 2023, Australia has committed more than $130 million in humanitarian assistance to help civilians in Gaza and Lebanon. Food, water and medical supplies are delivered through partners including UNICEF and the Red Cross. About 2600 civilians seeking aid in the Gaza Strip were killed between May and October 2025.
The blockade has been in place since Hamas came to power in the Gaza Strip in 2007. The Gaza war started after Hamas-led fighters killed 1200 people and took 251 hostages in the October 7, 2023 attacks, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel’s offensive on the enclave has killed more than 72,000, according to Palestinian health officials.
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Bronte Gossling is a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAtoday and Brisbane Times.Connect via email.
