Two boats carrying members of a US-based pro-Palestinian group have arrived in the Gaza Strip, despite an Israeli blockade of the territory.
Israel earlier said they would be let in, saying they would not be given the chance to have a "provocation at sea".
The boats left the port of Larnaca in Cyprus on Friday morning.
The Free Gaza protest group said about 40 activists from 14 countries were on board the boats to highlight the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza in June 2007 when the militant group Hamas took control of the territory by force.
Since then, Israel has allowed in little more than basic humanitarian aid as a means of isolating Hamas and persuading militant groups to stop firing rockets into Israel.
The closure of Gaza's borders by the Israeli and Egyptian authorities has also meant that very few Gazans have been able to leave.
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