Israel detains South Korean activist after Gaza aid flotilla attack

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JERUSALEM: A South Korean activist is believed to have been detained by the Israeli Navy after military forces attacked and intercepted a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea.

The activist, identified as Kim Dong-hyeon, was aboard the vessel Kyriakos X when it was intercepted late Monday near the island of Cyprus. According to the activist aid group, Kim is currently being held aboard an Israeli warship alongside several other international participants. 

The Kyriakos X was operating as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of more than 50 boats that departed from the Turkish district of Marmaris on Thursday in a renewed effort to break the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007. Organizers noted that 426 people from 40 countries are participating in the mission.

Kim embarked on the humanitarian voyage despite a strict travel ban explicitly implemented by the South Korean government, which prohibits its citizens from traveling to the Palestinian enclave without official state authorization. 

The aid group has expressed deep concern that another South Korean activist traveling on a nearby vessel, Kim Ah-hyun, could face a similar seizure by Israeli forces.