At least five Australians reportedly detained while carrying aid to Gaza on pro-Palestinian flotilla | Gaza flotilla

At least five Australians are reported to be among those detained by the Israeli government on a pro-Palestinian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.

Israel said overnight it had stopped the flotilla, with its navy intercepting all but one of the vessels trying to breach the blockade. Of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s 42 vessels, 41 were listed as having been confirmed or assumed to have been stopped by Israeli forces. The flotilla was carrying about 500 people, including parliamentarians, lawyers and activists such as Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

The Australian government said on Friday morning that it was seeking confirmation from Tel Aviv about how many of its citizens were among those in Israeli custody and had asked to be granted consular access to any Australians.

A spokesperson for the department of foreign affairs and trade said: “Australian officials in Tel Aviv are liaising with Israeli authorities and have formally requested confirmation of the detention of any Australians and early consular access.

“Australia calls on all parties to respect international law, to ensure the safety and humane treatment of those involved.”

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The office of Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens deputy leader, said that among the Australians reportedly detained were Surya McEwen, Abubakir Rafiq, Hamish Paterson, Juliet Lamont and Bianca Webb-Pullman. Faruqi’s office said one other Australian, Cameron Tribe, was still at sea.

The Dfat spokesperson said that while the department understood people’s desire “to help deliver aid to those suffering in Gaza – we also want to see critical aid delivered”, the government had repeatedly “warned against attempts to breach the naval blockade and strongly advised Australians not to do so because of the risks to their safety”.

“We repeat our call on Israel to enable the sustained, unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” said the spokesperson.

Australia’s health minister, Mark Butler, told Sunrise on Friday that the government had “put in a formal request to the Israeli authorities … to have clear information about how many Australians have been detained and obviously to have consular access to those Australians as well.”

He echoed comments that Australians had been warned not to join attempts to break the blockade “because of obvious safety risks”.

“For those who are detained, we’ll be providing consular assistance to them,” Butler said.

Israel’s foreign ministry, which had described the flotilla’s mission as a “provocation”, said all are “safe and in good health”.

“They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe,” it said on social media.

Guardian Australia has contacted the Israeli embassy in Canberra for comment.

The flotilla, which was carrying symbolic humanitarian aid, aimed to breach the Gaza blockade and establish a maritime corridor into Gaza. It is the first time since Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza’s waters in 2009 that an unauthorised humanitarian mission has reached closer than 70 nautical miles from the territory.

Videos have emerged showing Israeli vessels intercepting flotilla vessels, including one from the Israeli foreign ministry that showed Thunberg sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers on the flotilla’s lead vessel, the Alma.

In a video posted on Instagram shortly before the interception, Thunberg said: “My name is Greta Thunberg. I am onboard the ship Alma. We are about to be intercepted by Israel.”

Thunberg and other activists were arrested and taken into custody at the Israeli port of Ashdod.

While some of the vessels were boarded by Israeli soldiers, others sailed on towards the Gaza Strip before being intercepted.

– with AAP