Israel to Release Six Australians After Gaza Flotilla Interception
Israel said six Australians detained after the interception of a Gaza aid flotilla will be released on a Greek island, with the transfer due in the coming hours. The announcement follows Wednesday evening’s interception off the coast of Crete, where the Israel Defence Forces took activists off vessels in the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, said the people moved from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel would be disembarked on a Greek beach and thanked the Greek government for its willingness to receive them. The Global Sumud Flotilla said the operation affected about 22 vessels and around 175 activists, while more than 40 other ships were still trying to reach Gaza with 500 tonnes of aid.
Gideon Sa’ar’s release plan
Sa’ar said the Israel Defence Forces had “successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla”. He also said, “All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed.”
The foreign minister’s statement gives the clearest immediate step for the six Australians: release in Greece rather than return through Israel. That detail matters for families trying to track where the detainees are now, and for the activists’ lawyers or supporters who are looking for the first concrete movement since the interception.
Australians on the flotilla
Among the six Australians expected to be released in Crete were Zack Schofield, Ethan Floyd, Neve O’Connor, Dr Bianca Webb-Pullman, Surya McEwen and Cameron Tribe. Of the 14 Australians participating in the flotilla, just two remained in communication.
Zack Schofield’s father, Peter Schofield, said, “Obviously we were very concerned,” after the family spoke to the media on Thursday at Sydney Town Hall. He said his last conversation with his son was around 6am on Thursday, when Zack Schofield described being “surrounded by boats”.
Global Sumud Flotilla claims
The Global Sumud Flotilla said the interceptions took place in international waters hundreds of kilometres from Israel and accused Israel’s government of “piracy” and “kidnapping”. The flotilla left Italy on Monday and said it was trying to deliver aid to Gaza, which Israel says remains under a naval blockade.
Anny Mokotow, an Australian citizen and member of Jews Against the Occupation, said while en route to Gaza on board the Bye-Luby: “Many boats have been broken, engines destroyed and rigging cut,” adding another account from inside the convoy as it was intercepted.
October 2025 precedent
The current case follows the previous Sumud flotilla in October 2025, when seven Australians were detained by the Israel Defence Forces. For the families of the Australians on this convoy, the practical next step is now the transfer in Greece, which is the first named point where the six are expected to re-emerge after the seizure at sea.
The remaining ships, more than 40 according to the flotilla, were still trying to reach Gaza after the interception. That leaves the convoy split between those already removed and those still sailing toward the same destination, with the release in Greece the next move now set by Israel and the Greek government.
