The Madleen ship, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), departed from Italy on 1 June. It aimed to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
The FFC, which had organized the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.
The ship was “unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated,” FFC said in a statement on Monday.
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said Huwaida Arraf, a Freedom Flotilla organizer.
These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” she added.
'State of war criminals'
The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza has condemned Israel as a “state of war criminals” following the interception of the humanitarian vessel Madleen as it approached the shores of the besieged Palestinian territory.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the committee accused Israeli forces of “hijacking” the aid ship and called on activists around the world to continue supporting the detainees who were arrested onboard.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt. "The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,” it said in a post on X.
It added that the activists would return to their home countries, and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels.
"The ship was still en route to Israel around midday Monday. It was expected to dock at the port of Ashdod," Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, said.
Later on Monday, however, Israeli rights group Adalah said it had sent a letter to Israeli authorities demanding information on the activists’ whereabouts and their access to legal counsel and representation.
The Israeli-Arab rights group noted that Israeli forces had detained the flotilla in international waters, “where Israel has no legal jurisdiction or authority,” thus violating international humanitarian law.
“Adalah will pursue legal actions to secure the activists’ safety and release,” it said.
World reactions
Turkey slammed Israel for intercepting the Gaza-bound boat, describing it as a "heinous attack" by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The intervention by Israeli forces on the 'Madleen' ship ... while sailing in international waters is a clear violation of international law," it said.
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Turkish nationals were among those on board but did not identify them.
The Freedom Flotilla's website also said the boat carried 12 people from seven countries, including Turkey.
"The international community's justified reaction to Israel's genocidal policies, which use hunger as a weapon in Gaza and prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid, will continue," the ministry stated.
It added that Israel would manage to "silence the voices defending human values."
Moreover, Iran condemned Israel's interception of the humanitarian vessel as an act of piracy.
"The assault on this flotilla — since it happened in international waters — is considered a form of piracy under international law," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press briefing in Tehran.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron requested that the six French nationals aboard the Madleen "be allowed to return to France as soon as possible" without revealing their names, according to a presidential official.
French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot also said Paris would work "to facilitate their swift return to France."
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament of Palestinian descent, was among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
In addition, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned an Israeli diplomat to a meeting on Monday in protest against the seizure of the Madleen, according to El País.
A Spanish citizen, Sergio Toribio, is also among the activists on the boat.
“The foreign ministry is in contact with the Spaniard in question, with his family and with the Israeli foreign ministry, and is exercising consular protection with regard to our citizen,” ministry sources told the paper.
During the early days of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023, Israel had sealed Gaza off from all aid, but later relented under international pressure.
In early March, shortly before it ended a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Israel again blocked all the aid, including food, fuel, and medicine.
This war has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, so far.
The United Nations has called Gaza "the hungriest place on Earth." After 21 months of war, the UN has warned that the territory's entire population is at risk of famine.
The bloody Israeli war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population.
Short link: