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From Ali Kucuk Gucmen

ISTANBUL, May 18 (Reuters) - Organizers of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza said on Monday that Israeli forces had intercepted 28 of its boats in the eastern Mediterranean, while the remaining 26 boats continued sailing towards the territory.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier today that it "will not allow any violation of the legal naval blockade imposed on Gaza."

Ships from the Global Resilience Flotilla set sail for the third time on Thursday from southern Türkiye after Israel intercepted previous attempts to deliver aid to Gaza in international waters.

A live video showed military vessels approaching fleet ships on Monday.

The flotilla said in a post on X, "Military vessels are currently intercepting our flotilla, and (Israeli) forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight."

He added, "We demand safe passage for our humanitarian, legal, and peaceful mission."

He stated that 426 people participated in the flotilla, which consisted of 54 boats from 39 countries, adding that 44 Turks were on board the boats that were intercepted about 250 nautical miles from Gaza.

In its statement, Israel called on "all those involved in this provocation to change course and return immediately."

A Turkish activist on board one of the flotilla's boats said he was not afraid of being intercepted by Israeli forces, but expressed concern for those already detained, adding that his ship's crew expected it to be intercepted as soon as it approached Gaza.

Ahmed Sweilmez said, "We don't know where they are, and we don't know how many have been detained." A live tracking system on the flotilla's website showed his boat was about 215 nautical miles from Gaza.

Turkey seeks a safe return for its citizens

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli intervention, describing it as "a new act of piracy," and affirmed that Ankara is taking the necessary steps to ensure the safe return of Turkish citizens, in coordination with other concerned countries.

A statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, "Israel must immediately cease its interference and unconditionally release the detainees participating in the flotilla," calling on the international community to take a "united and firm" stance against Israel as quickly as possible.

The previous flotilla had set sail from Spain on April 12, but Israeli forces intercepted its ships and transferred more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists to the island of Crete and detained two others in Israel.

Last October, the Israeli army stopped another flotilla organized by the same group, and arrested Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.

Palestinians and international aid organizations, along with Turkey and several other countries, say that supplies reaching Gaza remain insufficient despite the October ceasefire agreement, which included guarantees of increased aid.

Most of Gaza’s more than two million residents have been displaced, and many are now living in bombed-damaged homes and in makeshift tents pitched in the open on roadsides or on top of the rubble of destroyed buildings.

Israel, which controls all of the Gaza Strip's entry points, denies withholding supplies from its residents. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that over 1.58 million tons of humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza since October 2015.