On Friday, the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza said in a statement that several activists held aboard the vessels “announced that they have entered an open-ended hunger strike from the moment of their detention.”

The announcement comes as the Israeli military seized the final boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla, once a 44-strong fleet.

Livestream video showed Israeli forces forcing their way onboard the Polish-flagged Marinette, which reportedly has a crew of six, on Friday morning.

Speaking via video call with flotilla organizers late on Thursday, the Australian captain, who identified himself only as Cameron, explained that the vessel initially had engine issues and was therefore lagging behind the main group.

He said the boat is now “steaming” towards Gaza.

“We have a bunch of very tough Turks onboard … we’ve got a lady from Oman and myself, and we’re just going to continue in the direction,” Cameron added.

According to live geo tracker, the ship was intercepted in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, some 43 nautical miles (about 80km) from Gaza’s territorial waters.

Since Wednesday, the Israeli navy has illegally intercepted flotilla vessels as they neared Gaza, detaining about 500 activists from more than 40 countries.

Several high-profile figures, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, and Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan, are among those abducted.

The Israeli attack has been met with worldwide protests, including in European countries such as Italy, Belgium, and Scotland.

Since March 2, when Israel violated its ceasefire agreement with Hamas, the regime has sealed all border crossings into the enclave, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and further deepening Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis.

The brutal blockade has pushed the famine-linked death toll to 453 people, including 150 children.

Israel has so far killed at least 66,225 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since it launched the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.