One of the boats which formed the Gaza Sumud flotilla, a group of more than 50 boats which attempted to break the State of Israel’s naval blockade and provide humanitarian aid directly to the Gaza strip, docked in Cyprus, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Friday.

“The Cypriot authorities identified that one of the vessels participating in the international flotilla sailing towards the Gaza strip chose to approach the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus. After entering Cypriot territorial waters … the crew ultimately submitted a request to dock at the Larnaca port,” he wrote in a post on social media.

He added that the boat’s crew had “cited the need for resupply and humanitarian reasons” as their reason to head towards Cyprus, and that the Cypriot authorities “reacted immediately and responsibly, implementing the relevant protocols following the legal procedures in force”.

“During the docking process, a report was made that there were two passengers with chronic health problems. Therefore, the docking of the vessel was expedited so that the necessary care could be provided,” he said.

He said the boat had a total of 21 people on board when it arrived in Larnaca, and that once it arrived, “the competent services proceeded with all necessary identification, document, and security checks, while an ambulance was called for precautionary reasons”.

Regarding the two people with chronic health problems, he said they were examined by nurses before being taken to hospital.

“At the same time, the Republic’s authorities ensured that the basic needs of those on board were met, while the necessary assistance was also provided in consular matters any in any requests from third country nationals,” he said.

The boat arriving in Larnaca on Thursday night

He added that the Cypriot authorities “acted from the very beginning with the protection of human life and respect for international humanitarian law as their guide”.

Closer to Gaza, the State of Israel has begun intercepting boats sailing towards Gaza and detaining their crew, with the Gaza Sumud flotilla reporting on Friday morning that 443 people had been detained thus far, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

According to the BBC, the first boats were stopped a total of 70 nautical miles (130 kilometres) from the Gazan coast, firmly in international waters, with the Gaza Sumud flotilla describing those interceptions as “illegal”.

The State of Israel had told the boats to change course as they were “approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade”.

The boat in Larnaca port

The interception of the boats and detention of the crews sparked protests around the world, including in Cyprus, where demonstrators gathered outside the foreign ministry in Nicosia and clashed with the police, who deployed pepper spray.

Meanwhile, the members of the flotilla who had been detained were taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where they were met by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to Palestinian news agency the Quds news network, Ben-Gvir berated them, saying their boats were “found completely empty”, accusing them of not carrying any humanitarian aid, as had been the stated aim of their mission.

“They didn’t really come … to help. They came for Gaza, for the terrorists. These are terrorists,” he is quoted as having said.

Earlier on the flotilla’s voyage, a proposal had been made for the flotilla in its entirety to deliver the aid to Cyprus and allow the Catholic church to distribute it to Gaza.

The proposal had been made by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem having been lined up to deliver the aid to Gaza, but the flotilla rejected it, saying they wished to sail directly to Gaza.

On Wednesday night, the foreign ministries of Greece and Italy had made a final joint appeal to the flotilla to change course and head for Cyprus, hours before the State of Israel began to intercept the ships.

This decision angered Meloni on Thursday, who said of the flotilla that “I continue to believe that this all brings no benefit to the Palestinian people”.