Israeli troops stopped the the Zaytouna-Oliva flotilla, crewed by 13 women, some 35 miles from Palestinianwaters on Wednesday.
The flotilla, which set sail from Spain on September 14, was redirected to the port of Ashdod andthe activists weretaken for interrogation.
Secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekatdenounced the Israeli aggression anddemanded an immediate release of the women.
He calledon the governments of Spain, Sweden, Norway, Australia and Canada, where the crew hailfrom, to immediately intervene to prevent Israel from harming the rights of their citizens.
The Israeli seizure dampened hopes among agroup of Palestinians whohad gathered on the beach towelcomethe boat.
Mairead Maguire, the Nobel peace laureate from Northern Irelandwho is on board the flotilla, said they were expectingto be intercepted by the Israeli occupation forces.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The undated photo shows activists gesturing while on board of the Zaytouna-Oliva solidarity boat bound for the Gaza Strip.[/caption]In 2015, when the Womens Boat attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to the coastal enclave, theIsraeli naval forces boarded the vessel and forced it to change route.
A similar attempt by a Turkish flotilla resulted in the death of 10 activists in 2010, when Israeli commandos attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. They also injured about 50 other activists.
The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli siege since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in living standards as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
Israel has also waged three wars on Gaza since 2008, including the 2014 offensive, which left more than 2,200 Palestinians dead and over 11,100 others injured.
By Press TV
