On May 31, Israeli Navy commandos boarded one of the flotilla ships, occupied mainly by IHH activists, in efforts to prevent the ship from reaching Gaza in violation of an Israeli naval blockade. Aboard the ship, the commandos were met with violence and a clash ensued, resulting in the deaths of 9 Turkish activists.

IHH leader Bulent Yildirim, speaking at an Istanbul conference attended by Muslim activists and litigators, said that "more flotillas will head to Gaza in the coming months, and additional convoys by land. This, together with many more surprises that we will reveal soon," Channel 2 reported.

"Zionist public relations are very powerful, and we must act accordingly," he added.

Following the deadly raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, Israel decided to ease the conditions of a three-year blockade on Gaza. Israel imposed the siege in 2007 after the Islamist group Hamas took control over the Gaza Strip in a violent coup. Though some restrictions have been lifted recently, Israel decided to maintain the naval blockade on the territory.

Last month, the IHH leader told an Arabic-language newspaper that "all the families of the martyrs from the first flotilla wish to take part in the next voyage."