Israel Diffused a Massive Flotilla with Minimal Confrontation

Last week, the Israeli navy intercepted a flotilla, consisting of 58 vessels carrying some 175 people, attempting to break the maritime blockade of Gaza. Unlike when dealing with previous similar stunts, the navy began the operation when the flotilla was still more than 500 nautical miles from the Israeli coast. The IDF detained two of the passengers because of their ties to a Hamas front group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. The remainder were deposited in Crete. Praising the operation for its “professionalism, discipline, and strategic clarity,” Nitsana Darshan-Leitner observes the advantages of this approach, which avoided “unnecessary drama.”