ALWAGHT- Israeli forces struck a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship as it entered the coastal waters of the blockaded Palestinian territory.
Israeli forces have attacked and boarded the Madleen, a humanitarian aid ship attempting to break the naval blockade of Gaza. Brazilian activist Thiago Avila reported being surrounded by Israeli military vessels before contact was lost. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirmed the boarding and alleged that Israeli forces abducted the passengers, including international figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham, and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanese, confirmed the presence of Israeli speedboats and relayed her last communication with the ship’s captain before losing contact. The Israeli military reportedly ignored the crew’s statement that they carried only humanitarian aid. This incident follows earlier threats by Israeli officials to prevent the ship’s arrival in Gaza, with Defense Minister Israel Katz accusing the activists of spreading “Hamas propaganda.”
Human rights groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), have condemned the attack as “international piracy” and called for the immediate release of the crew. The Madleen had departed from Sicily carrying vital aid such as food, medical supplies, and children’s prosthetics for Gaza’s starving population. This is not the first incident targeting the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which reported a prior Israeli drone strike on another aid vessel in international waters last month.
