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Watch: Israel seizes Madleen flotilla, ‘kidnaps’ activists

The Israeli forces in the wee hours Monday June 09, 2025 stormed the Madleen flotilla en route Gaza and detained the 12 activists onboard which they said is a case of ‘kidnapping’

Monday June 9, 2025 11:28 AM, ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Mediterranean Sea: The Israeli forces in the wee hours Monday June 09, 2025 stormed the Madleen flotilla en route Gaza and detained the 12 activists onboard which they said is a case of ‘kidnapping’.

“Gaza freedom flotilla ship Madleen, due to enter Palestinian waters at around 02:00 AM local time Monday, has been intercepted by Israeli vessels and quadcopter drones in international waters. The ship has been sprayed with an unknown substance”, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said.

The Israeli forces later took the 12 activists, who came from different countries and included prominent figures like Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan, in custody.

"The Madleen’s crew is being taken to Israel after Israeli commandos seized the vessel", the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The cameras have captured the moment the Madleen was intercepted, and the activists and journalists on board were ordered to throw their mobile phones into the sea.

The organization has called the forcible storming of the Gaza aid ship in international waters illegal and detention of the activists an open case of “abduction” and “kidnapping”.

Watch Video

More footage of Madleen kidnapping by Israeli forces.
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Israel has lost the right to continue existing as a state. It should be dissolved, and Jews should be kicked out from Palestine land to the USA & EU, where they belong.
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— Bhavika Kapoor (@BhavikaKapoor5) June 9, 2025

Appeals for support fell on deaf ears

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and a large number of acitivist organisation worldwide had eaerlier called for international support to stop Israel from using forcing against flotilla and its passengers.

Appeals had also been made to French President Macron and UK government to intervene. The Madleen is a UK flagged civilian ship and is protected under international maritime law.

"We are taking aid to Gaza, not weapons. You must intervene for the safe passage of the vessel", the activists onboard Madleem said.

In a statement Saturday, the group said it was in contact with international legal and human rights bodies to ensure the safety of those on board, warning that any interception would constitute “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

All appeals however fell on deaf ears.

Total Silence, Impunity to Israel

The silence of the countries the activists belonged to is being slammed and criticized.

“If any other state had sent its military forces to seize a small civilian boat carrying 12 unarmed civilians to deliver food, baby formula and crutches to a besieged population, it would immediately be recognised for the act of state piracy that it indisputably is,” Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, told Al Jazeera.

“But for Israel, there’s always an exception", he said.

“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 (ICJ),” Rabbani added, noting that the court has emphasised “the need for the unhindered delivery of humanitarian supplies to the besieged population of the Gaza Strip.”

Madleen, the Gaza aid ship launched by Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), had Saturday crossed the Egyptian coast.

Who were onboard?

The Madleen flotilla started its journey from Catania in Italy on June 1, 2025. It was scheduled to reach Gaza on Saturday June 07, 2025. However, it got delayed due to persistent threat from the Israeli forces.

Onboard the ships were actor Liam Cunningham, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan and other activists.

Others onboard included Yasemin Acar of Germany, Baptiste Andre, Omar Faiad, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi and Reva Viard - all from France, Thiago Avila from Brazil, Suayb Ordu from Turkiye, Sergio Toribio from Spain and Marco van Rennes from The Netherlands.

Named after the first Palestinian fisherwman Madleen Kulab who ran her father’s fishing business after he was injured in a 2009 Israeli attack, the Gaza flotilla was launched a month after Conscience flotilla was destroyed by Israel.

Conscience flotilla was attacked by Israeli drones in European waters on May 2, 2025, in violation of international law, where it remains stranded.

Protests, Outrage against Israeli hooliganism

Meanwhile, protests began in Paris, France against the Israeli abduction of activists on Madleen freedom flotilla.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who was on the phone with the Madleen crew when they were detained, said Madleen must be released immediately.

“Breaking the siege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us,” Albanese wrote in a post on X.

“Every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together—united, they will be unstoppable.”

David Shoebridge from the Australian Greens says, “The Israeli military attacking a boat full of unarmed activists bringing food and medicine to Gaza is a clear breach of international law.”

The attack “should be strongly condemned and have consequences”, Shoebridge added, before calling on the Australian government to “impose immediate sanctions on the Israeli arms industry and the Netanyahu Government”.

Condemning Israel’s “unlawful interception” of the Madleen in international waters, Palestinian rights organisation Al-Haq has called for the “immediate release of all those detained”.

“Israel has no legal authority to restrict access to Palestine, since such is within the exclusive right of the Palestinian people,” the Ramallah-based rights organisation said in a statement.

“Israel’s manufacture of famine as a tool of genocide, and its blockade of Gaza, is designed to isolate, fragment and destroy the Palestinian people.”

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