Israeli forces have intercepted a flotilla of aid boats attempting to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip , detaining crews in international waters near the southern Greek island of Crete.

The incident occurred overnight Wednesday into Thursday, according to activists.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona earlier this month, aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Organisers said that more than 70 boats and 1,000 participants from across the globe were involved, with additional vessels joining as it traversed the Mediterranean.

This latest attempt to break the blockade follows a similar effort by the activist group less than a year ago, which was also thwarted by Israeli authorities.

In a press release, the group said: " Israel ’s actions … mark a dangerous and unprecedented escalation, the abduction of civilians in the middle of the Mediterranean, over 600 miles from Gaza, in full view of the world."

CCTV footage shows the Global Sumud Flotilla being intercepted by…