Israel Prepares for New 'Hamas Flotilla' Attempt to Breach Gaza Blockade

Israeli security forces are accelerating preparations to intercept a new "Hamas flotilla" expected to sail towards Gaza from Sicily in mid-October. The flotilla, reportedly comprising a few vessels with several dozen anti-Israel activists, aims to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israeli intelligence suggests more ships and participants may join later. The potential arrival of this flotilla was discussed in recent security meetings, prompting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to begin preliminary preparations. The military's objective remains to prevent any vessel from reaching Gaza. Elite naval commandos from Shayetet 13 may be deployed to intercept the flotilla if an attempt to breach the blockade is made. This development follows recent attempts by other groups to reach Gaza. Earlier, 58 vessels associated with the Turkish IHH organization, which was involved in the 2010 "Marmara flotilla," departed from Turkish ports. A portion of these ships attempted to reach Gaza approximately two weeks ago but returned to Turkey after warnings from the Israeli Navy. Additionally, a new pro-Palestinian flotilla named "Sumud" was recently presented in Istanbul, with organizers planning to send numerous ships with international activists to Gaza in the coming months. The presentation featured Palestinian symbols and included politicians, public figures, and project sponsors.