Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, says it is ready to provide legal support to flotilla volunteers detained by Israel, Al Jazeera reports.

The group assisted volunteers on past flotillas but, in a statement earlier this week, warned that given the scale and publicity of the current effort, Israel’s response could be markedly different.

“Israeli officials have consistently expressed intentions to prevent the ships from reaching Gaza,” the group said.

“Reports indicate that, ahead of the Sumud Flotilla, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has [presented] a plan to the cabinet to detain flotilla participants for prolonged periods — without any legal basis, even under Israeli law.

“These threats appear designed to deter legitimate humanitarian action and must be read in light of Israeli authorities’ documented pattern of bypassing legal safeguards.

“Coupled with escalating smear campaigns targeting activists, tactics that have historically been used to legitimise violence and repression, these measures underscore the very real risk of violence and serious rights violations.”