Israeli Navy intercepts activist ship en route to Gaza flotilla

• Broadcast shows activists sitting on the deck of the “Handala”.
• Handala was on a mission to challenge the Israeli naval blockade.
• The boat was carrying 19 activists, including European politicians.

According to a livestream broadcast by the group, Israeli forces boarded a vessel that the pro-Palestinian group Freedom Flotilla was sailing toward Gaza on Saturday.

The footage showed activists sitting on the deck of the “Handala”, raising their hands and whistling the Italian anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao” as the soldiers took control of the ship.

The Handala was attempting to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a small quantity of humanitarian aid to Palestinian residents there.

Shortly afterward, three online live feeds capturing the scene were abruptly cut.

In a statement on social media, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition declared, “‘Handala’ has been intercepted and boarded illegally by Israeli forces in international waters.”

An online tracking tool indicated that the vessel was roughly 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) from the Egyptian coast and approximately 100 kilometers west of Gaza when intercepted.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation, but earlier that day, it announced plans to enforce the “legal maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip”.

The vessel was carrying 19 participants, including European politicians and two journalists from Al Jazeera. The journalists managed to broadcast from the ship until shortly before its interception.

Among those detained were French lawmakers Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala. Their leader, Jean-Luc Melenchon of France Unbowed (LFI), condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

“Netanyahu’s forces boarded ‘Handala’. They attacked 21 unarmed individuals within territorial waters where they have no jurisdiction. This is kidnapping, and two French parliamentarians are victims,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Melenchon urged the French government to take action.

Gaza faces critical shortages of food and essential supplies, with UN agencies and NGOs warning of an imminent famine.

The crew of the Handala announced via X that they would undertake a hunger strike if the Israeli military intercepted the vessel and detained its passengers.

The last Freedom Flotilla vessel, the Madleen, was intercepted in international waters on June 9 by the Israeli military and towed to Ashdod port. It carried 12 activists, including prominent climate advocate Greta Thunberg. Those onboard were eventually expelled from Israel.