Israel intercepts the 'Handala' ship in international waters and holds the 21 activists trying to reach Gaza to break the blockade
Lawyers for Freedom Flotilla activists report that Israel won't let them see it. "The ship was intercepted in international waters and its capture is a clear violation of international law."
The Freedom Flotilla coalition has reported that the Israeli Army stopped the Handala ship on its way to Gaza last midnight in order to break the Israeli blockade and provide humanitarian aid.
"Israeli occupation forces have stopped Handala ," the organization has written in account X. Previously, one of the crew members, the Franco-Swedish MP of the European Parliament, Emma Fourreau, wrote on the same social network that the Israeli Army had boarded the ship in international waters 115 kilometres off the coast of Gaza.
A few minutes after the warning, the Flotilla has subsequently released a series of other pre-recorded videos of each of the crew members of Handala explaining that they have been "abducted" by Israel, indicating that they have been "illegally intercepted and abducted" by the Israeli Army and calling on the Government of their country to intervene to release him and the other pro-Palestinian activists on board.
On the other hand, lawyers representing activists from the Israeli Freedom Fleet have reported on Sunday that the Israeli authorities have not allowed them to meet with detainees since their arrival at the port of Ashdod (centre), the Palestinian legal organization Adalah reported in a statement.
"Despite repeated requests, the Israeli authorities have refused to allow Adalah's lawyers to enter to provide legal assistance to detainees," the statement says.
The organization has claimed that the Handal of the Flotilla, which was sailing to Gaza full of activists, spent 12 hours at sea after being boarded by the Israeli Army, until Israel has reported its arrival at the port of Ashdod.
"The vessel was intercepted in international waters and its retention is a clear violation of international law, "Adalah has denounced.
The flotilla reported late on Saturday that the Handala had been arrested 40 nautical miles (about 74 kilometers) off the coast of the Gaza Strip. Adalah, for his part, stressed in another statement that the Flotilla "never entered Israeli waters, nor was it ever intended".
According to Adalah, at 23:43 local time (20:43 GMT) on Saturday, Israeli forces shut down the cameras installed on the ship, which transmitted directly, and since then all communication with the ship has been lost.
Handala left Syracuse, Italy, on 13 July, for the Gaza Strip to break the blockade imposed by Israel on the humanitarian agency in the enclave. The famine, the direct result of the humanitarian aid crisis, has further aggravated the situation in Gaza, where malnutrition deaths have exceeded 130 since October 2023.
On board the Handala were 21 activists, who are currently in detention: six Americans, four French, two Italians, two Spaniards, two Australians, one Norwegian, one Tunisian, one French British citizen, one Moroccan and one German-American.
On 9 June, Israel attacked another Freedom Fleet vessel, the Madleen, in international waters, arresting all crew members.
You might like
Trump says he's willing to talk to Hezbollah if Lebanon asks him
While the President of the United States is pushing for negotiations for the departure of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon, Israeli troops have opened fire on the Lebanese army as a "warning."
Nearly a thousand deaths in the Congo Ebola outbreak, with a death rate of 39.9%
Médecins du Monde has warned that there is a "very complex" context, marked by the conflict, the displacement of the population and the limited capacity of the health system, which faces "four epidemics at once: Ebola, cholera, measles and mpox."
Andy Burnham's Government Announces Withdrawal of British Electricity VAT
The measure will be financed in part by the cancellation of the project to launch the digital identity programme, the cost of which was expected to be around £600 million a year.
Nicaragua's president announces that there will be no elections in the country anymore
Elections should actually be held in November 2027, but the announcement made by President Daniel Ortega, who has been in charge of the country since 2007, has closed the door to elections.
Iran's attacks in the Middle East have injured nearly 100 military personnel, according to the Pentagon
The Pentagon itself confirmed last weekend that three American soldiers have been killed in Iranian attacks on Jordan and Iraq. The U.S. Army has been attacking Iranian targets for 10 consecutive days, and Iran has responded by attacking Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and other allied countries.
Trump says Netanyahu won't be arrested in America
Israeli Prime Minister Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, has declared that Netanyahu is a "war criminal" and is considering his arrest.
The Houthis impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to the "siege" of Riyadh
They have described the measure as an "eye for an eye," facing the Saudi blockade of Yemen for 12 years.
Burnham takes over as prime minister in the UK, promising a "new political and economic model"
Among the priorities of the future government are the reform of the education system, the strengthening of mental health services and the construction of more subsidized housing.
The U.S. bombed Iran for the ninth night in a row
Iran, for its part, has attacked several US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and Bahrain has activated its sirens against air strikes.
Trump wanted to join the celebration of Spain, but he was sidelined
U.S. President Donald Trump took the stage with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to hand over the World Cup trophy to Rodrigo, captain of the Spanish team. An spite of being given time to leave the venue, Trump tried to pose in the photo of the world champions celebrations.