Tel Aviv, Israel (AP) –
Israeli forces intercept Gaza-bound aid ships trying to break Israeli blockade of Palestinian territory, detaining 21 international activists and journalists, and baby formula, food, medicine, and more. Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Sunday.
The coalition that operates the ship handler said Israeli forces had cut off cameras and communications just before midnight on Saturday, disconnected from Gaza and “hardly intercepted” the ship in international waters.
“All cargo is intended to be direct distribution to a population that is non-military, civilian and facing intentional starvation and medical collapse under Israeli illegal blockade,” the group said in a statement.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment. Israeli Foreign Ministry posted to X early Sunday morning that the navy had stopped the ship and brought it to the coast.
This is the second ship run by a coalition that has prevented Israel from providing assistance to Gaza in recent months, where food experts have been warning for months of the risk of hunger. Activists Greta Samberg He was among 12 activists on the ship’s Madreen when it was seized by Israeli forces in June.
The intercept of the ship comes as Israel faces international criticism of Gaza’s humanitarian situation, with concerns about Israeli aid restrictions spreading to rising territorial hunger.
Local human rights group Adara said the attack on the ship violated international law. It called for the immediate release of 21 activists from 10 countries, including lawmakers and human rights activists.
“The fleet never entered and was not intended to do so. It was heading towards the territory of the Palestinian state, as permitted under international law,” Adara said in a statement. “Israel does not have any legal jurisdiction or authority over the international waters in which the ship sails.”
Adara requested immediate disclosure of activists’ positions and legal status.
Left Environmental Guardians’ Party MP Nicola Fratoanni has called on the Italian government to ensure the safety of the two Italians on board.
There were also seven U.S. citizens, including human rights lawyers, Jewish American war veterans and Jewish American activists, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
