Israel Intercepts The Madleen Ship

A UK-flagged boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was intercepted by Israeli forces en route to Gaza.
Activists onboard the Madleen, including Greta Thunberg, aimed to challenge Israel’s blockade, calling it illegal.
The vessel was still in international waters when drones and naval vessels surrounded it.
Footage showed white foam and panic as Israeli forces boarded, cutting off communication.
Israel says the Gaza coast is closed and aid must go through Ashdod port via official channels.
Activists recorded messages urging their governments to act before losing contact.
Protests in Paris followed, demanding accountability and the release of those detained.

Al Jazeera’s Perry Wilton reports.

Israeli naval commandos have taken control of the Madleen, a British-flagged vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which had set sail to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The yacht, carrying 12 people including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and an Al Jazeera journalist, was intercepted in international waters, approximately 160km from Gaza’s coast.
According to the FFC, Israeli forces used drones and irritant substances to forcibly board the vessel overnight. Activists said they were ordered to turn off their phones before the boat was redirected to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The ship had intended to deliver a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid and draw global attention to the siege on Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the mission as a “provocation and a publicity stunt” and said the blockade remains a critical security measure. The FFC denounced the interception as illegal, calling it an act of piracy and demanding the immediate release of the crew and the lifting of the blockade. The move has drawn international condemnation from the UN and human rights organisations.

To discuss the latest developments, we are joined by Huwaida Arraf, Co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and organizer with the Freedom Flotilla. She is live with us from Sicily.
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, spoke to us by phone from Tunis about the moment communication was lost with the ship.
Mouin Rabbani, Co-editor of Jadaliyya and Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, joins us from Montreal.