The Freedom Flotilla reported that the Israeli army intercepted its ship Handala at midnight between Saturday and Sunday while it was sailing towards Gaza with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade and delivering humanitarian aid.

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“The Handala has been intercepted by the Israeli occupation forces,” the organization wrote on its X account. Later, the Flotilla published a statement denouncing that the interception was “violent” and occurred forty nautical miles off the coast of Gaza (about 74 kilometers).

The organization stated that at 11:43 p.m. local time on Saturday (8:43 p.m. GMT), the Israeli army turned off the cameras that were on board and broadcasting what was happening on the Handala, and they therefore lost communication with the boat.

“This interception occurred in international waters outside the territorial waters of Palestine in Gaza, in a violation of international maritime law,” the Flotilla denounced in its statement.

Previously, one of the crew members, French-Swedish member of the European Parliament Emma Fourreau, had written on X that the ship was boarded by the Israeli army 115 kilometers off the coast of Gaza and that the crew threw their phones into the water as a security measure.

The Flotilla also published several pre-recorded videos of its crew members, where they claim that they have been “illegally intercepted and kidnapped” by the Israeli army and ask the governments of their respective countries to intercede for their release.

“The Handala was carrying a shipment of critical humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza that included baby formula, diapers, food and medicine. All cargo was non-military, civilian, with the aim of being distributed directly to a population facing a deliberate famine and medical collapse under Israel’s illegal blockade,” the organization said.

On the Handala, 21 people from twelve countries were traveling: six Americans, four French, two Italians, two Spaniards, two Australians, one Norwegian, one Tunisian, one French-English, one Moroccan, and one Iraqi-American.

The ship Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza with humanitarian aid, was boarded in international waters by Israel on 9 June, arresting its entire crew, including Greta Thunberg. The crew members were arrested and some appeared before an Israeli court before being returned to their countries.

Gaza is facing a severe famine due to the Israeli blockade of humanitarian aid, which has prevented the entry of essential supplies. The Gaza government warns that if formula milk and nutritional supplements are not allowed in the next few days, more than 100,000 children could die of malnutrition.

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