Israel has intercepted the humanitarian aid ship “Madleen,” which was en route to Gaza carrying international activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham, and French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.
According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the crew had been warned in advance not to violate Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza, which aims to prevent the transport of weapons to Hamas. On Sunday, Katz posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces to stop the ship from reaching Gaza’s shores and to take all necessary measures.
The ship was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and departed from Sicily on Friday. The organizers said they were fully prepared for a potential Israeli interception and labeled Katz’s statement and Israel’s actions as an unlawful use of force. They also called the blockade itself illegal under international law.
The incident has drawn global attention due to the high-profile passengers and the increasing tensions in the region over humanitarian access to Gaza.
