PIRACY: Zionist Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Humanitarian Aid Vessel Madleen
Zionist forces have launched an attack on a humanitarian aid vessel en route to Gaza as it neared the coastal waters of the blockaded Palestinian region.
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who is currently aboard the vessel Madleen, reported via social media on Monday morning that the ship has been encircled by Israeli military vessels.
He reported that the regime’s forces launched an attack on the Madleen, a humanitarian aid ship endeavoring to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced on Telegram that communication with the vessel ‘Madleen’ has been severed. The organization reported that Israeli military personnel have boarded the ship and alleged that the passengers have been taken by the forces.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined 11 other international campaigners on the Madleen, accompanied by “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament with Palestinian roots.
Rima Hassan aired footage depicting the ship’s sirens blaring.
Mahmud Abu-Odeh, a press officer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition based in Germany, informed AFP that the activists appear to have been detained.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Palestine has reported that five Israeli speedboats have intercepted the Madleen vessel.
Francesca Albanese has conveyed that the crew aboard the Madeleine have notified Israeli forces of their mission, emphasizing that they are transporting humanitarian aid and intend to depart without incident.
Albanese reported overhearing conversations among the soldiers during a phone call with their captain.
A communication was disrupted with the captain just as he reported the approach of another vessel.
A new development unfolded as Hamas issued a warning to Israel, cautioning against any actions to intercept the Madleen ship, and held Israel fully accountable for the safety of the activists on board.
Earlier, Israeli Minister of Military Affairs, Israel Katz, issued a threat to intercept a humanitarian aid vessel destined for Gaza, labeling Greta Thunberg and her fellow activists as “propagandists for Hamas.”
He had directed the regime’s forces to intervene “by land, sea, and air” to block the ship from accessing Gaza.
CAIR has condemned what it describes as a “blatant act” of piracy following an Israeli attack on Madleen.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s interception and detention of the Freedom Flotilla vessel along with its crew members.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad has issued a strong denunciation of what he termed as a cowardly and unlawful Israeli assault on the vessel Madleen, which was en route to Gaza carrying much-needed humanitarian aid.
He described the incident as a clear example of international piracy and state terrorism.
Awad asserted that the Israeli occupation lacks any legal justification to impose a blockade on the Gaza coast, let alone to deploy chemical weapons against humanitarian aid vessels and seize their passengers in international waters.
Awad has urged the Israeli authorities to promptly liberate the crew of the detained vessel.
He expressed admiration for Greta Thunberg and the other Madleen activists who courageously put their safety and freedom on the line to aid the starving population in Gaza.
The vessel Madleen, under the initiative of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from Sicily last week. It is loaded with essential humanitarian supplies destined for Gaza, encompassing baby formula, flour, rice, desalination kits, medical aid, and prosthetics for children.
Israeli drones targeted a vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, named the Conscience, while it was in international waters near the coast of Malta on May 2.
The organization strongly denounced the assault, labeling it a blatant breach of international law.
United Nations agencies alongside prominent aid organizations have issued an urgent warning about the potential onset of famine in Gaza, should the influx of aid not increase significantly. The groups emphasize that Israeli-imposed restrictions, a collapse in law and order, and rampant looting are severely hindering the delivery of much-needed assistance to the approximately 2 million Palestinians residing in the region.
