Israel intercepts Gaza-bound ship carrying activists and humanitarian aid
The coalition that operates the vessel Handala said the Israeli military "violently intercepted" the ship in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza, cutting the cameras and communication, just before midnight Saturday. Four French citizens, including two elected officials from the radical left La France Insoumise party, were on board the ship. Two Al-Jazeera journalists were also arrested. The boat had left Italy on July 13, six weeks after the departure of the Madleen, which had also been intercepted earlier by Israeli forces.
"All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade," the group said in a statement. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Israel's Foreign Ministry posted on X early Sunday that the Navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore.
It was the second ship operated by the coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza, where food experts have for months warned of the risk of famine. Activist Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship Madleen when it was seized by the Israeli military in June. In May, the coalition's civilian aid ship Conscience sustained a drone attack off Malta that disabled the vessel.
The ship's interception comes as Israel faces mounting international criticism over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, with concern growing over rising hunger in the territory amid Israeli restrictions on aid.
A regional human rights group, Adalah, said the raid on the vessel violated international law. It demanded the immediate release of the 21 activists, including lawmakers and human rights campaigners, from 10 countries. Adalah said the vessel has arrived at the Israeli port of Ashdod, but that its lawyers have been denied access to the detained activists.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, regarding two Italians on board, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Sa'ar indicated that if they don't agree to leave the country immediately, they would be forcibly repatriated over the next three days, the ministry said. Also on board were seven US citizens, including a human rights attorney, a Jewish US war veteran and a Jewish-American activist, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
Earlier, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Israeli navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering the coastal waters off the territory of Gaza.
"The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe," it said. Just before midnight local time on Saturday, a video livestream broadcast from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza. The Handala's crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli army intercepted the boat and detained its passengers.
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