Afrasianet - The Israeli occupation storms the ship "Madeleine" of the "Freedom Flotilla" and arrests activists on board while trying to break the siege on Gaza.
In a new escalation against efforts to break the siege on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli naval forces stormed, at midnight Sunday - Monday, the ship "Madeleine" of the "Freedom Flotilla" coalition, which was on its way to the shores of Gaza carrying activists and international solidarity.
According to sources within the coalition, 4 Israeli boats approached the ship in an attempt to control it, before Israeli media announced that the army had begun storming the ship and then arresting all the activists on board without much resistance.
The head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, Zaher Birawi, issued a distress appeal to the "free world" demanding pressure on Israel to ensure the safety of the activists on board the ship and to stop this attack.
Israeli media confirmed that the navy had towed the ship to the port of Ashdod, in preparation for the deportation of detainees to their countries.
The ship is expected to arrive this afternoon at the port of Ashdod, according to Israeli media.
The confrontation comes amid rising tensions in the region, amid growing international calls to end the blockade imposed by the occupation on Gaza for more than a decade.
The Freedom Flotilla coalition, which includes activists and solidarity from around the world, seeks through these initiatives to break the naval blockade imposed on the Strip, but its movements are almost always subjected to Israeli objections aimed at preventing any direct aid or support from reaching the people of Gaza, which exacerbates the suffering of civilians there and increases the political and security complexities in the region.
The Israeli Minister of Security, Israel Katz, announced on Sunday that he had instructed the occupation army to take immediate action to prevent the arrival of the Madeleine humanitarian flotilla to the besieged Gaza Strip.
In a statement that carried a condescending and aggressive tone, Katz attacked the flotilla, saying they must "go back to where they came from," stressing that "the Israeli army will not allow the ship to reach the shores of Gaza," threatening to use "all necessary means" to prevent this. Gaza Strip
Freedom Flotilla Coalition: Israel hijacked the Madeleine
The Freedom Flotilla coalition said the Israeli army boarded its Gaza-bound ship Madeleine and lost contact, while Army Radio reported that Israeli naval commandos had taken control of the ship.
The Freedom Flotilla coalition accused Israeli forces of kidnapping volunteers aboard the Madeleine, including Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Omar Fayyad.
Israeli Army Radio quoted an Israeli military source as saying that the Madeleine was being taken towards the port of Ashdod after it was seized.
The source added that the identities of the individuals who were on board the ship are being verified in preparation for their interrogation, and pointed out that the interrogation will take place at a naval base in the port of Ashdod.
The Israeli military released photos of the moment all foreign activists on board the Madeleine were arrested.
"They're here"
Earlier, the Freedom Flotilla coalition, which organized this campaign to break the siege on Gaza, announced that sirens sounded on board its ship Madeleine, and that Israeli gunboats approached and surrounded it coinciding with the flight of an Israeli march and throwing an unknown white liquid on the ship.
Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament, broadcast pictures of the sirens sounding on the Madeleine ship and said "they are here," referring to the Israeli occupation forces' interception of the ship.
For her part, the UN rapporteur for human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanesi, announced that Israeli speedboats arrived at the Madeleine. Albanese said on platform X that the ship's team had informed Israeli soldiers that they were carrying humanitarian aid and would leave safely.
The Madeleine boat does not pose a threat to Israel's security, and Tel Aviv has no authority to stop it in international waters.
Ship 36
Madeleine set sail in early June from the Italian port of Catania towards the Gaza Strip, on a trip aimed at breaking the blockade imposed on him by Israel.
The ship is carrying 12 activists of various nationalities, including Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Omar Fayyad, in addition to humanitarian aid including food, medicine and medical equipment.
Madeleine is the 36th ship in the Freedom Flotilla coalition, which aims to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The vessel was named after Madeleine Dogs, the first Palestinian girl to fish professionally in the Gaza Strip, and lost her father and source of livelihood after the outbreak of the Israeli war in October 2023.
Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies