Israel Apartheid State military forces illegally hijacks the Madleen flotilla that carried 12 people seeking to provide aid to Gaza
The Madleen flotilla was en route to occupied Gaza before it was intercepted.
[This story is also posted on Daily Kos]
Late Sunday evening (or early morning in Middle East time), Israel Apartheid State’s military forces hijacked the Madleen flotilla that had 12 people on the flotilla seeking to provide aid to occupied Gaza, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and European Parliamentarian from France Rima Hassan, on board. The 12 people on the Madleen are being illegally kidnapped in international waters by the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF), a move that breaches international law.
The Madleen was initially named the Barcarole.
Israeli forces boarded the Gaza Aid Flotilla ship, the “Madleen,” early Monday morning local time and detained the 12 passengers on board, according to several reports.
The humanitarians on the ship, including globally-known humanitarian and Zeteo contributor Greta Thunberg, European Union Member of Parliament Rima Hassan, and several other volunteers, sought to deliver aid to Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says it has lost connection with the vessel, which was carrying medical supplies, diapers, baby formula, children’s prosthetics, and other desperately needed aid in Gaza.
[…]
Here are the 12 people aboard the Madleen, and where they are from:
Greta Thunberg – Swedish activist and humanitarian
Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament
Baptiste André – France
Pascal Maurieras – France
Yanis Mhamdi – France
Reva Viard – France
Omar Faiad – French reporter with Al Jazeera Mubasher
Thiago Ávila – Brazil
Hüseyin Şuayb Ordu – Turkey
Sergio Toribio – Spain
Marco van Rennes – The Netherlands
Yasemin Acar – Germany
Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen aid ship in the early hours of Monday morning as it approached the shores of Gaza in an effort to distribute badly needed aid to the Palestinian enclave’s starving population.
The ship has drawn international media attention since it set sail from Catania, Italy, about a week ago. As it neared the shores of Gaza, speculation was rife about how the Israelis would respond, considering their past actions in attacking aid ships sailing to provide supplies to the Strip.
[…]
What happened?
Israeli drones encircled the Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition at about 3am local time (01:00 GMT). The drones began spraying it with a white, paint-like substance before the commandos eventually took hold of the ship. The nature of the sprayed substance remains unclear.
[…]
Where was the Madleen intercepted?
The ship was about 100 nautical miles (185km) from Gaza when it was stopped by Israeli commandos.
It was in international waters at the time. Israel’s blockade of Gaza is deemed illegal by most international governments. Under international law, countries and their militaries hold sovereign rights over their territorial waters only, not international waters.
Ron Taub at NewsNation on the Madleen kidnapping:
(NewsNation) — Israeli forces said on Monday they seized a Gaza-bound aid boat and several people who were on board.
The voyage on the Madleen had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip by a group of activists. The seizure of the ship was the result of a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war.
This latest development opens up a whole new discussion to be had. What is the Madleen, and who are the key organizations? What were the consequences of the interception for the activists onboard? What are the potential outcomes of the IDF’s actions against the flotilla?
The moment where the Gaza Freedom Flotilla lost contact with the crew on the Madleen, via Instagram:
Via Anadolu Agency (Anadolu Ajansı) English’s YouTube:
The kidnapping of the 12 aboard the Madleen is an act of sacrilege and a violation of international law.