Ashdod, MINA – An aid vessel headed to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli occupation forces and docked at Ashdod Port on Monday, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN. All activists onboard were arrested, though no information was released regarding their current condition, Anadolu Agency reported.
The ship, named Madleen and sailing under a British flag, aimed to breach the Israeli blockade on Gaza, where nearly 55,000 people have died since October 2023 due to ongoing military operations. The blockade has severely limited humanitarian access to the coastal enclave.
The vessel was transporting aid supplies, including food and baby formula. It was seized during the night before reaching Gaza’s shores and forcibly redirected to Ashdod.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the mission, reported that 12 individuals were abducted by Israeli forces. Among them were 11 international activists and one journalist.
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Notable individuals aboard included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, German activist Yasemin Acar, and Brazilian campaigner Thiago Avila. Several French citizens, Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard were also on the ship, alongside Suayb Ordu from Türkiye, Sergio Toribio from Spain, Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands, and French journalist Omar Faiad from Al Jazeera Mubasher.
The incident has sparked condemnation from human rights groups, who call for the immediate release of the detainees and demand unhindered access to humanitarian aid for Gaza. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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