Freedom Flotilla gives statement as Israel 'illegally seizes' Madleen
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition spoke through its Telegram channel after its ship the Madleen was captured by Israel. The 12 people on board – including Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Al Jazeera correspondent Omar Faiad – have been imprisoned.
The Madleen had been sailing under a UK red ensign, meaning it was under UK jurisdiction in international waters, when Israel attacked it. The move has been described as a 'clear breach' of international law by the Turkish government, while the UK's has remained silent.
READ MORE: UK Government sends spy plane over Gaza as Freedom Flotilla ship threatened by Israel
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: 'It's time for our governments to do their jobs and sanction Israel. Its illegal attack on 'Madleen' while sailing in international waters is a small extension of their war crimes in Gaza.
'Governments, institutions, media, and corporations must stop protecting Israel, now. They must stop prioritising profit over human lives, now.
'Protect our volunteers while protecting Palestinians in Gaza and wider Palestine.'
On the abduction of MEP Hassan, the group said it was 'not only an attack on civilians, but a direct assault on international law, parliamentary immunity, and the principle of free humanitarian access'.
It went on: 'Israel must be held accountable. The European Parliament must formally demand her immediate release and Israel's legal accountability.
'This interception is a direct result of the international community's ongoing failure to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes.
Activists pictured on the Madleen, which was sailing under a UK flag (Image: Freedom Flotilla) 'A state currently on trial for genocide must not be allowed to dictate whether life-saving aid reaches the very people it stands accused of trying to destroy.'
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition pointed to the 2010 raid on their ships by the Israeli military, which also occurred in international waters and left 10 volunteers dead.
The group said: 'No state has the authority to enforce an unlawful blockade, especially one whose primary purpose is to starve civilians and obstruct humanitarian relief.
'Israel's threats and attacks against peaceful ships like 'Madleen', carrying essential aid and international human rights defenders, are part of its broader pattern of impunity and disregard for international norms.'
The unlawful seizure of the Madleen
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said of the boat seizure: 'At 3:02AM EEST, 110 nautical miles from Gaza, the 'Madleen' was illegally boarded by the IOF [Israel Occupation Forces] in international waters.
'Prior to their abduction, quadcopter drones flew in close range before attacking the 'Madleen' with a white chemical-like substance, harming their eyes. Signals were jammed, and disturbing audio was broadcast to interfere with communication over the radio system as the IOF boarded.
'Our volunteers were attacked and taken against their will while sailing lawfully toward Palestinian territorial waters, where Israel has no right to control.
'The 'Madleen' has reportedly been seized, and our aid, including baby formula, food, and medical supplies, has also been taken.'
CCTV image shared by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (Image: FFC) Sharing security footage timestamped 2:02AM, the group added: 'This is the last moment that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition ground team saw their friends, comrades and family members while they were being illegally intercepted, boarded and abducted by the Israeli military. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
'At this time, we are urgently working to locate the 11 international volunteers and one journalist abducted from 'Madleen'.
'According to the Israeli Immigration Authority, they are not yet in its custody. FFC lawyers in occupied Palestine have repeatedly contacted Israeli military officials, but are yet to receive any response to inquiries since the early hours of the morning.'
Who is on board the Madleen?
There are twelve civilian crew members on board the ship, which is flying the UK flag.
The crew members are:
Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate and social justice activist
Baptise Andre, French physician
Omar Faiad, French journalist with Al Jazeera
Reva Viard, French climate activist
Rima Hassan, French member of the European parliament, representing La France Insoumise party
Yanis Mhamdi, French journalist with independent media outlet Blast
Pascal Maurieras, French activist
Suayb Ordu, Turkish activist
Marco van Rennes, Dutch marine engineering student
Sergio Toribio, Spanish crew member, a member of marine conservation NGO Sea Shepherd
Thiago Avila, Brazilian journalist, social activist and politician
Yasemin Acar, German activist of Kurdish descent
Israel's statements
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said the Madleen was being taken to the port of Ashdod, which is around 17 miles north of Gaza.
Katz said: "I congratulate the IDF for the quick and safe takeover of the 'Madleen' flotilla to prevent them from breaking the blockade and reaching the shores of Gaza.
"I instructed the IDF to show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre when they arrive at the port of Ashdod.
"It is appropriate that the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself.
"The IDF will continue its war against the Hamas murderers with all its moral righteousness until they are subdued, all the hostages are released, and the security of the State of Israel is ensured."
Separately, Israel's foreign ministry called the boat a "selfie yacht' and claimed the "show is over".
All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. pic.twitter.com/tLZZYcspJO — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
It went on: "While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.
"There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies.
Israel is preparing to hold the 12 unlawfully detained activists in separate cells in Givon Prison in Ramla, media in the country is reporting.
The far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is said to have ordered officials to block the detainees from having any pro-Palestine symbols or access to any electronic communications equipment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Sweden snubs Greta Thunberg's plea for help on board 'freedom flotilla': Country's blunt response as activist says she has been 'kidnapped' by Israel after Gaza-bound vessel was sprayed by 'irritant substance'
Sweden has rejected Greta Thunberg 's plea for help on board the 'freedom flotilla' after Israeli commandos intercepted the vessel on its approach to Gaza. Maria Malmer Stenergard, the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that she believes Thunberg is not in need of support from the ministry after the 22-year-old climate activist called on followers to pressure the government into action. 'A great responsibility rests on those who choose to travel contrary to the advice given to a place,' she said, as protestors gathered in Stockholm to demand an intervention. 'If she needs consular support, we will do everything we can, just as we do with all Swedish citizens,' she said, criticising that as a result of the high volume of calls to the consular hotline, Swedes 'in need' abroad were being held in long queues. Protestors have called on the governments of the 12 Madleen crew members to act after the activists claimed to have been 'intercepted and kidnapped' in international waters some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza. In London, demonstrators gathered outside the FCDO offices in Whitehall to call on the government to protect the crew of the British-flagged ship. One held a sign that read: ' Israel attacks UK boat. UK does nothing.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organised the voyage from Italy to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, said last night that the ship had come 'under assault' in the Mediterranean Sea. The Madleen was said to have been shadowed by speedboats and drones before 'quadcopters' surrounded and sprayed the ship with an unidentified 'white irritant substance', shortly before the IDF seized it. Images showed the deck splattered with white liquid. Activist Yasmin Acar, among those on board, said it had been deployed by Israel and was affecting her eyes. 'Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' the coalition wrote on Telegram. Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, told Al Jazeera that crew members had said their eyes were burning from the substance. 'We don't know what that chemical was. Some people reported that their eyes were burning,' they said. Israel 'forcibly intercepted' the British-flagged vessel at 3.02am local time this morning, some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza, the FFC said in a statement. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz argued the blockade - in place for years - was needed to prevent militants importing weapons into Gaza. He congratulated the military on its 'quick and safe takeover' of the ship this morning after Israeli commandos seized the vessel. After diverting the boat, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. Katz said that the crew were safe and unharmed, and would be taken to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where they would be shown a video of Hamas 's October 7 atrocities. Video shows gunmen storming into southern Israel during Hamas's October 7 massacre, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage In comments shared on social media today, Katz said it was 'appropriate' the crew now see 'what atrocities [Hamas] committed against women, the elderly and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself'. The video of Hamas' attacks reportedly contains 43 minutes of 'uncensored' footage of 'people being massacred and bodies mutilated during the onslaught', according to the Times of Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry also derided what it called the 'selfie yacht' carrying 'celebrity' activists, adding that the aid onboard would be transferred to Gaza through what it called 'real humanitarian channels'. The 12 activists had left Italy on June 1, aiming to bring awareness of food shortages in Gaza, which the UN has called the 'hungriest place on Earth', after 21 months of war. The UN has warned the territory's entire population is at risk of famine. But the Israeli government had vowed to prevent the 'unauthorised' Madleen from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back. Protesters take part in a demonstration outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Offcie (FCDO) in Whitehall, London on June 9 After losing communication with the vessel, the FFC posted pre-recorded videos from the crew. In her video, Thunberg said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel.' Why are the activists protesting? The crew on board the Madleen sailed towards Gaza in an effort to raise awareness of the lingering humanitarian crisis. Israel imposed a blockade on supplies - including food and medicine - into the Palestinian enclave on March 2, and limited aid only began to enter again late last month after pressure from allies and warnings of famine. ActionAid had reported in April that the price of flour in Gaza had soared to $300 a bag after more than 50 days without new aid deliveries. More than 3,700 children were newly admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in March alone, it said, an 80 per cent rise on the previous month, per UNOCHA. Still, most people in Gaza are surviving on just a single meal per day, consisting mostly of pasta, rice or canned food. Humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. The FFC said that Israel had acted with 'total impunity'. It said that the cargo, containing baby formula, food and medical supplies, had been 'confiscated'. Israel said that the aid on board would be 'transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels'. The foreign ministry stressed that all crew members were 'safe and unharmed'. It said that it expected the activists to return to their home countries. Arraf, a human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organiser, pushed back: 'Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen.' 'This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the (International Court of Justice's) binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.' Israel has come under criticism for apprehending the group of activists in international waters. Francesca Albanese, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said the British government must 'urgently seek full clarification' about the ship's status and work to 'secure the immediate release' of the vessel and crew. 'The Madleen must be allowed to continue its lawful humanitarian mission to Gaza,' she said. MailOnline approached the Foreign Office for comment. Protestors amassed outside the FCDO offices in London today. One held a sign that read: 'Israel attacks UK boat. UK does nothing.' Ellie Chowns, Green Party Foreign Affairs spokeswoman and MP for North Herefordshire, said: 'The UK Government cannot remain silent while international waters are turned into a battleground and humanitarian actors are criminalised. 'The forced interception of the Madleen, a British-flagged vessel, is utterly unacceptable. Unarmed civilian crew were seized by Israeli military forces while sailing in international waters, their life-saving cargo taken, and international law trampled. 'I echo the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's demands: the immediate release of these civilians, unfettered delivery of vital baby formula, food and medical supplies to Gaza, and full accountability for these flagrant violations.' The Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen, organised by the international NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition, anchored off Catania, Italy, on June 1 Critics have branded the interception 'state piracy' and condemned the lack of action from the crew members' respective governments. Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, told Al Jazeera: 'This is not only an act of state piracy. It's in direct violation of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.' Spain summoned Israel's charge d'affaires in protest of the interception, according to El Pais, citing a source at the Spanish Foreign Ministry. French Foreign Minister Jeal-Noel Barrot said France wants to 'facilitate the rapid return' of six French nationals travelling with the group. Turkey slammed Israel for the interception, describing it as a 'heinous attack'. 'The intervention by Israeli forces on the 'Madleen' ship.. while sailing in international waters is a clear violation of international law,' it said, describing it as a 'heinous attack' by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Turkey's foreign ministry said there were Turkish nationals among those on board, without identifying them. The Freedom Flotilla's website said the boat was carrying 12 people from seven countries, including Turkey. 'The international community's justified reaction to Israel's genocidal policies, which use hunger as a weapon in Gaza and prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid, will continue,' the ministry added, saying Israel would manage to 'silence the voices defending human values'. Eight-year-old Rahab Matar, who was injured during an Israeli airstrike while playing in a park in Gaza, stays at a temporary shelter set up at the Yarmouk Stadium, Gaza City, June 7 Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Israel used drones to 'spray irritant substance' over Greta Thunberg's 'freedom flotilla' before boarding and detaining the activists - who will be 'made to watch footage of Hamas October 7 atrocities'
Israel used drones to spray an irritant substance on Greta Thunberg's 'freedom flotilla' before boarding and detaining the activists, the organising group has claimed. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said the ship was surrounded and sprayed with a 'white irritant substance' shortly before the IDF descended overnight. 'Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' the coalition wrote on Telegram, assessing that the Madleen had come 'under assault' in international waters. Images showed the deck splattered with an unidentified white liquid. Activist Yasmin Acar, among the 12 on board, said it had been deployed by Israel and was affecting her eyes. Israel 'forcibly intercepted' the British-flagged vessel at 3.02am local time this morning, some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza, the FFC said in a statement. The crew, including climate activist Thunberg, had spent the night on the Mediterranean Sea, shadowed by speedboats and drones, before being intercepted. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz argued the blockade - in place for years - was needed to prevent militants importing weapons into Gaza. He congratulated the military on its 'quick and safe takeover' of the ship this morning after Israeli commandos seized the vessel. After diverting the boat, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. Katz said that the crew were safe and unharmed, and would be taken to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where they would be shown a video of Hamas 's October 7 atrocities. Activist Yasmin Acar, among the 12 on board, said it had been deployed by Israel and was affecting her eyes In comments shared on social media today, Katz said it was 'appropriate' the crew now see 'what atrocities [Hamas] committed against women, the elderly and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself'. The video of Hamas' attacks reportedly contains 43 minutes of 'uncensored' footage of 'people being massacred and bodies mutilated during the onslaught', according to the Times of Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry also derided what it called the 'selfie yacht' carrying 'celebrity' activists, adding that the aid onboard would be transferred to Gaza through what it called 'real humanitarian channels'. The 12 activists had left Italy on June 1, aiming to bring awareness of food shortages in Gaza, which the UN has called the 'hungriest place on Earth', after 21 months of war. The UN has warned the territory's entire population is at risk of famine. But the Israeli government had vowed to prevent the 'unauthorised' Madleen from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back. The FFC had said earlier that the ship had come 'under assault' miles from Gaza - in international waters - and was being sprayed with an unidentified white substance. 'Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white paint-like substance,' the coalition wrote on Telegram. 'Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio.' Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, told Al Jazeera that crew members had said their eyes were burning from the substance. 'We don't know what that chemical was. Some people reported that their eyes were burning,' they said. After losing communication with the vessel, the FFC posted pre-recorded videos from the crew. In her video, Thunberg said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel.' The FFC said that Israel had acted with 'total impunity'. It said that the cargo, containing baby formula, food and medical supplies, had been 'confiscated'. Israel said that the aid on board would be 'transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels'. The foreign ministry stressed that all crew members were 'safe and unharmed'. It said that it expected the activists to return to their home countries. Arraf, a human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organiser, pushed back: 'Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen.' 'This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the (International Court of Justice's) binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.' Israel has come under criticism for apprehending the group of activists in international waters. Francesca Albanese, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said the British government must 'urgently seek full clarification' about the ship's status and work to 'secure the immediate release' of the vessel and crew. 'The Madleen must be allowed to continue its lawful humanitarian mission to Gaza,' she said. MailOnline approached the Foreign Office for comment. Protestors amassed outside the FCDO offices in London today. One held a sign that read: 'Israel attacks UK boat. UK does nothing.' Ellie Chowns, Green Party Foreign Affairs spokeswoman and MP for North Herefordshire, said: 'The UK Government cannot remain silent while international waters are turned into a battleground and humanitarian actors are criminalised. 'The forced interception of the Madleen, a British-flagged vessel, is utterly unacceptable. Unarmed civilian crew were seized by Israeli military forces while sailing in international waters, their life-saving cargo taken, and international law trampled. 'I echo the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's demands: the immediate release of these civilians, unfettered delivery of vital baby formula, food and medical supplies to Gaza, and full accountability for these flagrant violations.' An Israeli officer at the Super Nova Festival in Re'im, Israel, after it was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023 The Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen, organised by the international NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition, anchored off Catania, Italy, on June 1 Critics have branded the interception 'state piracy' and condemned the lack of action from the crew members' respective governments. Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, told Al Jazeera: 'This is not only an act of state piracy. It's in direct violation of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.' Spain summoned Israel's charge d'affaires in protest of the interception, according to El Pais, citing a source at the Spanish Foreign Ministry. French Foreign Minister Jeal-Noel Barrot said France wants to 'facilitate the rapid return' of six French nationals travelling with the group. Turkey slammed Israel for the interception, describing it as a 'heinous attack'. 'The intervention by Israeli forces on the 'Madleen' ship.. while sailing in international waters is a clear violation of international law,' it said, describing it as a 'heinous attack' by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Turkey's foreign ministry said there were Turkish nationals among those on board, without identifying them. The Freedom Flotilla's website said the boat was carrying 12 people from seven countries, including Turkey. 'The international community's justified reaction to Israel's genocidal policies, which use hunger as a weapon in Gaza and prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid, will continue,' the ministry added, saying Israel would manage to 'silence the voices defending human values'. Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. It said Israeli attacks killed at least 10 people on Sunday, including five civilians hit by gunfire near an aid distribution centre.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Israel says it will screen 7 October attacks to Greta Thunberg and other activists after Gaza-bound aid boat 'diverted'
The Israeli military will show Greta Thunberg and other activists footage of the 7 October attacks after a Gaza-bound aid boat was diverted to Israel, the country's defence minister has said. Early on Monday, the Israeli foreign ministry said that the British-flagged yacht Madleen - operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) - "is safely making its way to the shores of Israel". All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry added, sharing footage of the activists being handed sandwiches and water. In a statement via his spokesperson, defence minister Israel Katz said that he has instructed the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to screen footage of the 7 October attacks for those aboard when they arrive at Ashdod Port. "Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas -supporting friends should see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organisation - which they came to support and act on behalf of - truly is," he said. "They should see the atrocities committed against women, the elderly, and children, and understand whom Israel is fighting to defend itself." He commended the IDF for its "swift and safe takeover" of the vessel, and said the Israeli military "will continue its just and moral fight against the Hamas murderers until their defeat, the release of all hostages, and the full restoration of Israel's security". Israel's foreign ministry said earlier that those aboard the Madleen "are expected to return to their home countries" and that the humanitarian aid aboard the ship would be transferred to Gaza through established channels. Ms Thunberg was "safe and in good spirits" while en route to Israel, it added, calling the vessel "the 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities'". The FFC claimed the passengers on the yacht had been "kidnapped by Israeli forces" and released pre-recorded messages from them after previously saying that the "Israeli army had boarded" the vessel. Climate campaigner Ms Thunberg, 22, was one of a dozen activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily on 1 June on a mission aiming to break Israel's sea blockade. In a statement later on Monday, Hamas condemned the detention of the Madleen crew, calling it a "flagrant violation of international law". The group also said: "We salute the free solidarity activists of various nationalities who steadfastly confronted the threats and affirmed that Gaza is not alone." "The detention of Madeleine (sic) will not silence the voices of the free," it added, "nor will it halt the growing tide of global solidarity with Gaza". Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who is of Palestinian descent, was also on the boat. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israel's policies towards Palestinians. Ms Hassan wrote on X as the FFC's yacht was allegedly surrounded by other vessels: "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am." The diversion of the Madleen came after Mr Katz said that he had instructed the IDF to prevent the vessel from reaching the shore and to "take whatever measures necessary". Addressing Ms Thunberg and the other activists on Sunday, he said: "You should turn back - because you will not reach Gaza." Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month after a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas and preventing the group from importing arms. But humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless there is an end to the blockade and the 20-month war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, that killed more than 1,200 people. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters. 2:38 An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group's vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship. Francesca Albanese, United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, also urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. She said on social media: "Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over.
