International Outcry After Israeli Assault on Humanitarian Ship Madeline
DaysofPal — The Israeli occupation is facing growing international condemnation following a naval assault early Monday on the humanitarian vessel Madeline, which was sailing toward the Gaza Strip in a symbolic attempt to break the 17-year blockade on the besieged territory.
According to eyewitness reports and activist sources, Israeli naval forces intercepted Madeline in international waters, well before it could approach Gaza's coast. On board were 12 unarmed civilians—activists of French, German, Brazilian, Turkish, Swedish, Spanish, and Dutch nationalities. All were detained and the ship was forcibly redirected to the port of Ashdod on the occupied Palestinian coast.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced the interception as an act of 'maritime piracy,' stressing that it took place in international waters and thus constitutes a grave violation of international law.
In Spain, the Foreign Ministry summoned the acting Israeli ambassador and handed over a formal letter of protest. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz condemned the raid as 'the kidnapping of a humanitarian vessel,' stating: 'This serious breach of international law demands a strong response from the European Union.' She also expressed solidarity with the detained volunteers and called for their immediate release.
Amnesty International confirmed that the Madeline was a humanitarian mission crewed by civilians. It emphasized that the blockade of Gaza—now intensified by an ongoing military assault—has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The organization underscored that, under international law, Israel as an occupying power is obliged to ensure the civilian population's access to essential goods, including food and medical supplies.
Amnesty further called for those responsible for the attack to be held accountable and urged the international community to halt Israel's systematic obstruction of humanitarian efforts.
The Madeline departed from Italy on June 1 as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's campaign to challenge Israel's siege of Gaza. Its mission was symbolic but also urgent: to deliver life-saving aid to more than two million Palestinians trapped in what rights groups have called 'the world's largest open-air prison.' Gaza has endured over 20 months of war and bombardment, leaving the civilian population on the brink of famine, without access to clean water, adequate shelter, or functioning hospitals.
This incident marks yet another chapter in a long list of attacks on humanitarian convoys bound for Gaza, raising renewed concerns about the impunity with which the Israeli occupation continues to act, often in violation of maritime and humanitarian law.
Human rights organizations, legal experts, and governments are now calling on international bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations, to take tangible action to protect humanitarian missions and enforce accountability.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=63934
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Days of Palestine
11 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Hamas: Ben-Gvir inciting 'religious war' after Al-Aqsa Mosque storming
DaysofPal – Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday morning under heavy security protection, drawing sharp condemnation from Palestinian authorities and international observers. Local sources reported that more than 100 Israeli police officers were deployed in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa to secure Ben-Gvir's entry, which occurred alongside a group of settlers from his far-right Otzma Yehudit party. The incursion coincided with the arrival of 206 Israeli settlers who also entered the compound during the morning hours, performing religious rituals under police protection. The Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem confirmed the storming, stating that 'far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was among those who stormed the compound,' describing the move as part of a pattern of provocative visits by the minister since joining the Israeli government in 2022. During Ben-Gvir's presence in the compound, Israeli police reportedly barred Palestinian worshippers from entering, in what many observers saw as a clear attempt to assert unilateral control over the sacred site. Palestinian resistance movement Hamas strongly condemned the visit. In a statement released shortly after the incident, the group said, 'The extremist Ben-Gvir's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and his provocative tour of its courtyards, in a repeated and escalating scene, represent a challenge and contempt for the feelings of Muslims and the sanctity and status of Al-Aqsa among the Islamic nation.' The statement accused Ben-Gvir and the Israeli government of deliberately provoking religious tensions and attempting to incite a wider conflict. 'We warn against the escalation of settler incursions and the performance of Talmudic rituals within the Al-Aqsa compound.' Hamas also issued a call to action urging 'our people in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the occupied interior to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque, intensify their presence there, and confront the incursions and rampages of the settlers.' Ben-Gvir has made multiple controversial visits to the mosque compound since assuming his post, often during sensitive religious or national dates. His most recent visit before today occurred on May 26, when he entered the site to mark the anniversary of Israel's 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem. On that occasion, Ben-Gvir declared from inside the compound that 'praying and prostrating on the Temple Mount had become possible,' expressing satisfaction at the growing number of settlers entering the site. Today's storming comes just one day after the governments of Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway jointly imposed sanctions on both Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes, citing their repeated incitement to violence against Palestinians and role in fueling tensions across the occupied territories. The mosque compound houses one of Islam's most sacred sites as well as Judaism's holy Temple Mount. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
17 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
UN Committee: Targeting of Schools and Cultural Sites in Gaza Amounts to Genocide
DaysofPal – A United Nations international commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel's systematic attacks on schools, religious institutions, and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, including acts of genocide. In its newly released report, the committee stated that the Israeli occupation's deliberate targeting of Palestinian educational, cultural, and religious infrastructure has inflicted severe, long-term damage on Gaza's society, eroding not only its present but also its future. This destruction, the report argues, effectively undermines the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. The inquiry accuses Israel of having deliberately dismantled Gaza's educational system and damaged or destroyed more than half of its religious and cultural landmarks. These actions are part of what the commission describes as a 'relentless, large-scale assault on the Palestinian people,' during which Israeli forces have committed war crimes and genocidal acts. Judge Navi Pillay of South Africa, chair of the commission, emphasized in an official statement that there is mounting evidence of a systematic Israeli campaign to erase Palestinian existence in Gaza. 'This is not collateral damage — it is targeted erasure,' Pillay said. The commission was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 and tasked with investigating alleged violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories. It comprises three prominent experts in international law and human rights. The findings come amid what observers are calling a deliberate campaign to eradicate Gaza's cultural and historical identity. In addition to military operations against civilian populations, Israeli forces have been accused of deliberately targeting cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, mosques, and churches. Gaza, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, is home to an archaeological heritage that spans multiple civilizations — Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic. These legacies are now under existential threat as Israeli airstrikes and shelling raze centuries-old structures and cultural treasures. The report also highlights the symbolic and strategic significance of this destruction. By wiping out the institutions that preserve Palestinian knowledge, memory, and identity, the occupation seeks to dismantle the cultural foundation necessary for any future Palestinian self-governance or national revival. This damning UN report adds to the growing chorus of international voices accusing Israel of employing genocide as a tactic of war in Gaza. The international community, however, remains divided over accountability, with several Western governments continuing to provide military and diplomatic cover to Israel despite mounting legal and humanitarian concerns. The commission has called for urgent international intervention to halt the destruction and protect what remains of Gaza's heritage, educational infrastructure, and civilian life, warning that inaction will only further entrench the mechanisms of genocide and cultural annihilation. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
17 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
WFP Urges Immediate International Action to Deliver Aid to Starving Civilians in Gaza
DaysofPal – The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has issued an urgent appeal for international intervention to establish safe and uninterrupted humanitarian corridors into the Gaza Strip, as the humanitarian situation spirals further into catastrophe. In a statement released today, the WFP emphasized that the deteriorating security situation, ongoing Israeli bombardments, and the lack of protected access routes are severely obstructing the continued delivery of food and essential relief supplies. The agency warned that without immediate action, the humanitarian response in Gaza risks total collapse. The WFP called on all relevant authorities to expedite the issuance of permits, consistently open border crossings, and provide concrete security guarantees for aid convoys and humanitarian teams. It stressed that secure access must be established immediately to ensure life-saving aid reaches the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped by siege and war. The appeal comes in the aftermath of yet another massacre on Wednesday morning, when at least 25 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire while awaiting humanitarian assistance near the Netzarim corridor, south of Gaza City. According to medical sources, Israeli soldiers fired directly at civilians gathered in the Al-Nabulsi area, fully aware that the crowd was waiting for aid. The attack left 25 dead and dozens more wounded, many of them critically. Al-Shifa Hospital received 10 of the deceased, while Al-Quds Hospital reported receiving 6 additional fatalities and 95 injured individuals. This latest atrocity follows a disturbing pattern of repeated Israeli attacks on civilians at aid distribution points amid a months-long blockade that has plunged Gaza into famine and medical collapse. In response, the Gaza Government Media Office issued a forceful statement condemning what it described as systematic targeting of civilians during aid distributions. It accused the so-called 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)' of complicity, alleging that the foundation functions as a tool of the Israeli military to lure starving civilians into deadly ambushes under the pretense of humanitarian assistance. The statement demanded the immediate shutdown of the foundation's operations in Gaza and called for the urgent and unconditional opening of all crossings to allow aid entry through recognized international organizations such as UN agencies. It further urged the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate what it termed 'massacres at death points.' As Israeli aggression continues, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. Civilians suffer from acute shortages of food, potable water, and medicine, while hospitals operate on the brink of collapse. Amid this escalating crisis, the international community's failure to act decisively has drawn sharp criticism, with the Media Office warning that silence in the face of these crimes amounts to complicity. Shortlink for this post:
