In a dramatic escalation of international tensions, Colombia expelled Israel’s economic delegation and ordered the removal of all remaining Israeli diplomats after two Colombian activists were detained by the Israeli Navy while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The activists, Luna Barreto and Manuela Bedoya, were among nearly 500 participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla—a civilian mission sailing from Barcelona with the goal of breaking the Israeli blockade and bringing relief to Palestinians in the besieged territory.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the expulsion on October 1, 2025, following what he described as the “kidnapping” of Colombian citizens in international waters. According to reporting by Middle East Eye and other outlets, the flotilla was intercepted roughly 150 nautical miles from Gaza, well outside Israel’s territorial waters, in a zone where previous humanitarian missions have also been stopped or attacked by Israeli forces. “Another international crime has been committed by Netanyahu,” Petro declared on social media, referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is already wanted by the International Criminal Court for other alleged offenses.
The Colombian government swiftly ordered its Foreign Ministry to pursue all possible legal avenues against Israel, including actions in Israeli courts, and announced immediate steps to revoke the longstanding trade agreement between the two countries. Petro also called for enhanced military security at the presidential palace, citing concerns over U.S. involvement with arms previously on loan to Colombia. The president’s move came just days after the United States revoked his visa following his calls at the United Nations for an international force to “liberate Palestine.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which began its journey from Spain about a month earlier, consisted of nearly 50 boats and a diverse group of activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Mandla Mandela (grandson of Nelson Mandela), and several European lawmakers. The flotilla’s mission was clear: deliver desperately needed food, medicine, and other essentials to Gaza, where Israeli strikes and a strict blockade have created a humanitarian catastrophe. Live video feeds from the boats showed a tense atmosphere as Israeli naval vessels, with their transponders turned off, circled the flotilla and jammed communications. “They are currently hailing our vessels, telling us to turn off our engines and await further instructions or our boats will be seized and we will face the consequences,” said Greg Stoker, an American veteran aboard one of the ships, in a video posted online and cited by The New Indian Express.
Despite repeated warnings from Israel’s Foreign Ministry that the flotilla was entering an “active combat zone,” the activists pressed on, broadcasting messages of solidarity and chanting “Free Palestine!” on livestreams. The Israeli government offered to transfer the aid to Gaza through other channels, but activists argued that such promises had repeatedly gone unfulfilled in the past. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the mission, stating, “We must remember it is a humanitarian mission that wouldn’t be taking place if the Israeli government had allowed for the entry of aid. They present no threat nor danger to Israel.”
International reaction was swift and intense. Turkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz denounced the naval interception as “unlawful and barbaric,” describing it as an assault on the conscience of humanity. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş called Israeli forces “terror forces” and emphasized that the intervention was a clear violation of international law. Burhanettin Duran, Turkey’s Presidential Communications Director, echoed these sentiments, calling the attack “a dark stain in history.” The Turkish government’s outrage was particularly acute given the presence of Turkish citizens on board and memories of the deadly 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, which left ten Turkish activists dead and sparked a diplomatic crisis.
Protests erupted across Europe in solidarity with the flotilla. Italian unions called for a general strike, and demonstrators in Naples halted train traffic at the main railway station. Police in Rome surrounded the Termini station after protesters gathered near the entrances. Student and youth unions from France, Belgium, and other countries announced plans to suspend classes and hold demonstrations if the flotilla was attacked, urging student organizations worldwide to join in support of the Palestinian people.
At least 26 different nationalities were represented among those detained by Israel, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The group condemned the interception as illegal, arguing that the flotilla had broken no laws and that it was Israel’s blockade of Gaza and use of starvation as a weapon that constituted violations of international law. “People of conscience have been abducted. The flotilla broke no laws. What is illegal is Israel’s genocide, Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, and Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon,” the coalition said in a statement posted to social media.
The legal debate over the interception is fierce and unresolved. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea generally limits a state’s jurisdiction to 12 nautical miles from its shores, though exceptions exist in times of armed conflict. Israeli officials argue that their blockade of Gaza is “militarily justified” to prevent weapons smuggling and that they are entitled to intercept vessels after issuing prior warnings. However, international law experts such as Omer Shatz, who co-litigated a previous flotilla case before Israel’s Supreme Court, contend that even if the blockade were considered lawful, “international law paves a humanitarian road from the high seas to Gaza.” Shatz explained to the Associated Press that if the occupying power does not provide for the basic needs of the population, there is a right to deliver humanitarian aid, albeit under certain conditions. The activists maintain that their civilian, unarmed mission is protected by this principle.
The interception comes amid a surge of violence in Gaza itself. On October 1, 2025, at least 73 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including an attack on a tent in Deir el-Balah, according to Reuters. The humanitarian crisis in the enclave continues to worsen, with hospitals overwhelmed and basic supplies running dangerously low.
As tensions escalate, the Colombian delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla called for protests at the offices of business associations maintaining ties with Israel’s economic mission in Colombia. Their message was unequivocal: “If they block humanitarian aid, we block the economic flow. All eyes on Gaza. We will see you in the streets.”
With diplomatic relations fraying, international outrage mounting, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorating, the fate of the detained activists and the broader struggle to deliver aid to Palestinians remains uncertain. The events surrounding the Global Sumud Flotilla have once again thrust the Israeli blockade and the world’s response to the crisis in Gaza into the global spotlight.
