The Israeli navy intercepted the Madleen, a vessel belonging to the Freedom Flotilla, early Monday in international waters. The ship was carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. More than 30 crew members and activists aboard—including renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and human rights advocate Rima Hassan, Irish actor and humanitarian Liam Cunningham, and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila—were detained during the operation.

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Before boarding, Israeli drones sprayed the vessel with a white irritant substance. “They are spraying chemical substances. This is another war crime about to happen,” an activist on board declared during a live broadcast shortly before communications were lost.

The Madleen is a UK-flagged vessel that departed on June 1 from the Italian port of Catania. It carried a symbolic shipment of infant formula, rice, and medical supplies. Its mission was to break Israel’s illegal naval blockade of Gaza and deliver aid directly to Palestinians facing a deepening humanitarian crisis.

The blockade, enforced since 2007, restricts goods and people by sea, land, and air. Nearly two million Gaza residents suffer from its effects. Since October 2023, over 80% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Israeli bombings amid a large-scale military offensive, including hospitals and power plants, according to the UN.

Medical services are overwhelmed, food and clean water are critically low, and access for international aid is systematically blocked. The United Nations has described the situation as an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the interception but dismissed the vessel as a “selfie yacht.” They claimed all occupants “are safe, have been provided water and sandwiches,” and that “the show is over.”

The Freedom Flotilla’s Telegram channel condemned the detention of the activists. It called for diplomatic pressure on European and Latin American governments to guarantee their safety and demand their release. One message stated, “SOS! The Madleen volunteers have been kidnapped by Israeli forces,” alongside images showing crew members wearing life jackets with their hands raised.

The Madleen is part of the Freedom Flotilla, an international coalition of solidarity organizations that for over a decade has organized peaceful missions to challenge this blockade.

The Madleen is the latest of at least eleven international flotillas organized since 2010 to challenge Israel’s naval blockade. The most notorious was the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla, which ended tragically when Israeli commandos killed ten Turkish activists during a raid. Since then, nearly all sea-bound aid attempts have been forcibly intercepted despite repeated international condemnation.

Despite these challenges, the coalition remains committed to the Palestinian cause. The Freedom Flotilla described the Israeli operation as “a grave assault violating international laws, carried out in international waters against a wholly civilian vessel.”

In a pre-recorded message, Greta Thunberg explained her decision to join the flotilla: “Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity.” Rima Hassan and Liam Cunningham also joined the mission, lending their voices to the Palestinian cause.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had warned that “all necessary measures will be taken to prevent the ship from reaching Gaza.” U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham called Thunberg “antisemitic” and warned that Israel “will act against any attempt to break the blockade.”

Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila sent a voice note from the ship shortly before the final assault: “We are surrounded by many lights at once; they were surrounding our ship, but then moved on,” he said. Minutes later, the Telegram channel reported: “Connection with the Madleen has been lost. The Israeli army has boarded the ship.”

Currently, the detainees remain held at Ashdod port without access to lawyers or consular services. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have been notified.

TeleSUR will continue monitoring this case and demand respect for international law and the dignity of all peoples.

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