Month: October 2025

Israeli naval forces intercepted most of the vessels in a flotilla heading toward Gaza on Thursday, detaining dozens of activists as well as several European lawmakers. The group had set out with the stated goal of challenging Israel’s blockade of the territory, which has drawn global criticism.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which organized the voyage, said the mission was aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade of the territory. All but three of the 43 vessels being tracked online by the Global Sumud Flotilla were listed as having been confirmed or assumed to have been stopped by Israeli forces on Thursday, with a total of 443 people “forcibly taken from their vessels.” Organizers reported that one ship managed to continue sailing and reached the waters off Gaza early Thursday before losing all communication; they also claimed that 39 of their vessels were either seized or presumed seized after contact was cut off during an overnight Israeli operation.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that those aboard the ships, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were safe. Officials said the passengers were being transported to Israel, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry later releasing footage on social media showing Thunberg and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila on one of the intercepted vessels as it was redirected toward Israel, receiving a raincoat and a bottle of water from navy personnel while seated on the deck of a ship. In a post on social media, the foreign ministry assured that the activists and their boats “were being transported safely and peacefully to the port city of Ashdod, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin. The passengers are safe and in good health.”

The flotilla, consisting of nearly 50 boats carrying around 500 people, was largely symbolic and bringing only a small quantity of aid. Participants included high-profile figures such as Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela; former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau; and multiple European parliamentarians. Despite the interception, organizers reiterated that their mission to oppose the blockade and show solidarity with Palestinians remained unchanged.

Greg Stoker, an American military veteran aboard the Ohwayla – one of the boats in the flotilla – said in a video posted on Instagram that “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.”  Around a dozen Israeli naval vessels with their transponders off had approached it early Thursday, he said, adding that Israeli authorities used water cannons against some of the boats.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told RAI television that Israeli forces had been instructed “not to resort to violence,” but Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni felt that organizers of the Flotilla’s effort was misguided, stating, “I continue to believe this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people.”

Flotilla organizers also alleged that some of their ships had previously come under drone attacks — first near Tunisia and later in Greek waters. Fires broke out on two boats off the Tunisian coast, which authorities there confirmed they were investigating as intentional strikes.

Editorial credit: Tricani Alessio / Shutterstock.com

Two planes operated by Delta Air Lines subsidiary Endeavor Air collided on the tarmac of New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, which left a flight attendant injured.

The collision occurred Wednesday night between the two planes — Endeavor Air Flight 5047, arriving from Charlotte, North Carolina; and Endeavor Flight 5155, scheduled to depart for Roanoke, Virginia — on a taxiway at LaGuardia. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement that the crash happened just before 10 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Federal Aviation Administration later said Flight 5047 was taxiing to its gate when it struck Flight 5155. The FAA said air traffic control instructed Flight 5155 to hold and yield to the other plane. The incident took place at the intersection of Taxiways M and A, according to the FAA.

In a statement, Delta Air Lines shared that preliminary information indicates that the wing of Flight 5155 made contact with the fuselage of Flight 5047 during the “low-speed collision,” and confirmed that a flight attendant suffered a minor injury in the collision. The port authority said they had been transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution.

The airline said that “Delta teams at our New York-LaGuardia hub are working to ensure our customers are taken care of after two Delta Connection aircraft operated by Endeavor Air were involved in a low-speed collision during taxi. Delta will work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else. We apologize to our customers for the experience.” Passengers were escorted off the planes and on to shuttle buses. The airline said passengers who needed them would be provided hotel rooms and booked onto new flights Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed in a post on social media Thursday that Flight 5155’s right wing and 5047’s nose and windscreen were damaged in the collision. Flight recorders from both planes were recovered and sent to NTSB headquarters in Washington to be analyzed.

The incident comes shortly after the government shutdown, which has left federal workers furloughed. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association warned that government shutdowns “reduce the safety and efficiency” of the National Airspace System and erode safety, adding in a statement that “during a shutdown, critical safety support staff are furloughed, and support programs are suspended, making it difficult for air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals to perform at optimum levels.”

Editorial credit: Lester Balajadia / Shutterstock.com