Dutch vessel Mohammad Bhar is one of at least 20 intercepted by Israeli troops in their ongoing operation to stop a flotilla of aid workers and campaigners brining emergency supplies to Palestine.

The seven-strong crew on the vessel, six of them Dutch nationals and one French, have been detained along with four more Dutch members of the delegation who were travelling on other boats, according to reports.

Some of the boats, part of the 40 civilian boats which form the Global Sumud (Perseverance in Arabic) Flotilla, were less than 50 kilometres off the coast of Gaza on Wednesday night when the operation began.

According to Israeli authorities, the boats were about to enter an “active combat zone”. This was preceded by a claim that the flotilla was attempting to “breach “a lawful naval blockade”.

The arrests caused demonstrators to take to the streets in numerous capitals of the world. A small group of demonstrators assembled at the foreign affairs ministry in The Hague.

The stoppage also drew condemnation from the Turkish foreign ministry, which spoke of an “attack on the flotilla” which endangered the lives of innocent people. Colombian president Gustavo Petro ordered remaining Israeli diplomats in the country to be deported after earlier breaking off diplomatic relations. Two Colombian crew members were also arrested.

The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed on social media it had taken crew members to an Israeli harbour, including Greta Thunberg, who was pictured being given a bottle of water.

“Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port. Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” the ministry said, linking the flotilla directly to terrorist movement Hamas.

According to broadcaster NOS correspondent Nasrah Habiballah, the activitists will be not be deported immediately because of the Israeli celebration of Yom Kippur.

The first 20 boats left Barcelona last month, and were joined by 20 more along the way, crewed by people of numerous nationalities, including politicians and journalists. Their goal is to bring food, water and medicines to Gaza, cut off from humanitarian help for months by the Israeli blockade.