TUNIS, October 2. /TASS/. Israeli forces have intercepted four vessels of the Sumud flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians to the shores of the Gaza Strip, with around 70 activists having been detained, the international mission's information committee said.

"Four vessels were intercepted and about 70 participants were detained," Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV channel quoted the committee’s statement. Mission officials claim that Israeli forces are "firing water cannons at ships." Naval forces boarded vessels about 70 nautical miles (130km) offshore Gaza, organizers reported.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, also referred to as the Global Freedom Flotilla, consists of dozens of vessels from various countries with hundreds of activists onboard, including Swedish human rights activist Greta Thunberg. It arrived at the Tunisian coast on September 7. The mission’s goal is to break through the blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to the people affected by the conflict.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly stated that they will not allow those vessels to approach the shores of Gaza, citing a naval blockade due to the ongoing fighting in the Palestinian enclave. Israel offered flotilla activists the opportunity to unload the humanitarian aid at the Israeli port of Ashkelon, closest to Gaza, or at a port in any other country, from where the aid could then be delivered to the Strip. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the activists rejected all those offers.