Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israeli naval forces Thursday for intercepting a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, as authorities prepared to deport hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists aboard the vessels. "Their important action prevented dozens of vessels from entering the war zone and repelled a campaign of delegitimisation against Israel." An Israeli official said more than 400 activists aboard 41 vessels were detained. Hamas, whose Oct.7, 2023, attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza, condemned the interception of the flotilla as a "crime of piracy and maritime terrorism." With the war in Gaza dragging on, solidarity with the Palestinians has grown globally, with activists and increasingly governments condemning Israel for its conduct.