‘Israel' Intercepts 'Madleen Ship', Activists Detained
Israeli occupation forces have attacked a humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza as the vessel approached the coastal waters of the besieged Palestinian territory.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the organizer of the voyage, reported on Telegram that the Israeli army boarded the ship, arrested the solidarity volunteers on board, and lost contact with the ship. Meanwhile, the ship's alarm was sounded and life jackets were prepared in anticipation of a possible interception.
Israeli army is now on board. Contact has been lost with the vessel. pic.twitter.com/MwSBHv3ySc
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 9, 2025
Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, who was on board the ship, posted images of the sirens sounding. She later explained that a drone had flown overhead and dropped an unknown white liquid.
As the Madleen set sail from the Italian port of Catania last Sunday, bound for Gaza to deliver aid and break the Israeli blockade on the Strip, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the army to prevent it from reaching Gaza, accusing the activists of being 'propaganda mouthpieces for Hamas.'
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the volunteers aboard the Madleen who have been kidnapped by Israeli forces.
She calls on the Swedish government to take immediate action to ensure her and others safety and release. pic.twitter.com/jsvyooF8rw
— WAFA News Agency – English (@WAFANewsEnglish) June 9, 2025
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the navy directed the ship to change course as it approached a 'restricted zone.' About an hour later, it was announced that the ship had been escorted to the Israeli coast, noting that 'the passengers are expected to return to their countries.' The Ministry added that 'the small amount of aid on board the yacht, which the celebrities did not consume, will be transferred to Gaza through genuine humanitarian channels.'
Hamas Demands Release of Activists
For its part, Hamas demanded the release of the detainees, holding the occupation fully responsible for their safety.In a statement, the movement condemned the crime of piracy committed by the occupation forces by intercepting the ship in international waters, forcibly preventing it from reaching the Gaza Strip, escorting it to the port of Ashdod, and detaining those on board. Hamas described this as 'organized state terrorism, a flagrant violation of international law, and an attack on civilian volunteers acting out of humanitarian motives.'
Hamas called on the United Nations and international organizations to condemn this crime and take urgent action to break the blockade on Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Manar
an hour ago
- Al Manar
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and UK Sanction Israeli Extremist Ministers Smotrich & Ben Gvir
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the two Israeli extremist ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, stressing, in a joint statement, that two Zionist politicians have incited violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank. Settler violence is incited by extremist rhetoric which calls for Palestinians to be driven from their homes, encourages violence and human rights abuses and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution. Settler violence has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole communities, the statement read. We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution which is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperiled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion, the statement added. 'Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous. These actions are not acceptable. We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account. The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.' 'Today's measures focus on the West Bank, but of course this cannot be seen in isolation from the catastrophe in Gaza. We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid. There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip.' The Israeli occupation army intensified its military offensive in occupied Palestine's West Bank early Tuesday, launching a large-scale raid on the Old City of Nablus.
LBCI
2 hours ago
- LBCI
Palestinian President says supports demilitarization of Hamas
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has said Hamas "must hand over its weapons" and called for the deployment of Arab and international forces to "protect the Palestinian people," the Elysee announced Tuesday. In a letter addressed on Monday to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who will co-chair a conference on the two-state solution, Abbas said he was "ready to invite Arab and international forces to be deployed as part of a stabilization/protection mission with a Security Council mandate." AFP
LBCI
2 hours ago
- LBCI
Israeli army says intercepted projectile fired from Gaza
The Israeli military said it intercepted a "projectile" on Tuesday that had entered Israeli airspace from Gaza, where it has fought Palestinian militant group Hamas for more than 20 months. "Following the sirens that sounded at 10:53 am (0753 GMT) in the area of the Zikim beach, one projectile that crossed from the northern Gaza Strip into Israeli territory was intercepted," the military said. AFP
