International Outcry After Israeli Assault on Humanitarian Ship Madeline
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.
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