The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s sailboat, Madleen was intercepted in international waters early Monday by the Israeli military at 3:02 am CEST at 31.95236° N, 32.38880° E and its crew has been brought to Israel.
The ship was unlawfully boarded, its 12 unarmed civilian crew and participants abducted, and its life-saving cargo —including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated, as well as personal possessions taken.
To the knowledge of the Flotilla organizers, no one from the Madleen was injured during the interception.
[Israel took the boat to the Port of Ashdod south of Tel Aviv, CNN reports. Israel says it will deport the Madleen’s crew and participants, BBC reports. But only after the crew is forced to watch a 45-minute video reportedly showing atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, according to a tweet by Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz.
U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese is calling for the immediate release of the captive and for more boats in the region to continue to challenge Israel’s sea blockade around Gaza.]
While #Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together—united, they will be unstoppable.#BreakingTheSiege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us. pic.twitter.com/FeaD1Fq4Dk
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 9, 2025
Immediately after the interception, the crew and participants were moved from the Madleen and taken to an Israeli ship. That is only the second time that crew/participants have been taken off a flotilla ship. The first was in 2011 from the Dignite, which sailed from France.
Prior to the intercept, drones flew around Madleen and a white powder substance was dropped on the decks. It is not known what the substance was.
After losing communication with Madleen, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition began posting pre-recorded video messages from those onboard, [including high-profile activist Greta Thunberg].
“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupation forces, or forces that support Israel.”
SOS! the volunteers on ‘Madleen’ have been kidnapped by Israeli forces.
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish citizen.
Pressure their foreign ministries and help us keep them safe!Web: t.co/uCGmx8sn8j
X : @SweMFA
FB : @SweMFA
IG : swedishmfa#AllEyesOnMadeleen pic.twitter.com/76Myrg2Bnz— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) June 9, 2025
Amnesty International put out the following statement:
“By forcibly intercepting and blocking the Madleen, Israel has once again ignored its legal obligations towards civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip. The crew were unarmed activists and human rights defenders on a humanitarian mission. They must be released immediately and unconditionally. They must also be protected from torture and other ill-treatment.”
British MP Nadia Whittome tweeted:
Today, I wrote a letter urging the Foreign Secretary to take action regarding the Madleen aid flotilla, which has been seized by Israel in a violation of international law.
I also joined the huge Freedom Flotilla Coalition emergency protest outside the Foreign Office. pic.twitter.com/fktNqcrFfZ
— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) June 9, 2025
French leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon told a rally in Paris:
“The crew members of the Freedom Flotilla went barehanded in a small boat to face genocide and a blockade. The arrest ordered by Netanyahu is an act of piracy in international waters, coupled with the detention of an elected official under parliamentary immunity.”
Les membres de l’équipage de la Flottille de la Liberté sont allés à mains nues dans un petit bateau affronter un génocide et un blocus.
L’arrestation ordonnée par Netanyahu est un acte de piraterie en eaux internationales, auquel s’ajoute la détention d’une élue sous immunité… pic.twitter.com/mgHAB7a1JF
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) June 9, 2025
SOS messages from the volunteers have been sent to the world.
In a statement issued by the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Huwaida Arraf, human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer, said:
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen. This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade — their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
The statement continued,
“Israel is once again acting with total impunity. It has defied the International Court of Justice’s binding orders to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, disregarded the international laws protecting civilian navigation, and dismissed the demands of millions worldwide calling for an end to the siege and genocide.”
This latest act of Israeli aggression follows the unpunished Israeli drone attack on May 1, 2025 on the flotilla’s vessel Conscience, which left four civilian volunteers injured and the ship disabled and burning in European waters. That unprovoked attack on the Conscience is a violation of international law that has not been addressed by the international community.
Now, Israel has escalated its violence by targeting another peaceful civilian vessel.
“The world’s governments remained silent when Conscience was bombed. Now Israel is testing that silence again,” said Tan Safi another Freedom Flotilla organizer. “Every hour without consequences emboldens Israel to escalate its attacks on civilians, aid workers, and the very foundations of international law.”
Madleen. pic.twitter.com/WppCE7HyJm
— The Palestinian (@InsiderWorld_1) June 8, 2025
Flotilla lawyers will meet volunteers while they are in prison in Israel and advocate for their release.
Flotilla organizers are asking for volunteers to put pressure on embassies to arrange immediate consular visits to the prison to speak with the French, Spanish, German, Swedish, Turkish, Brazilian and Dutch citizens who have been captured.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition demands:
• An end to the illegal and deadly siege of Gaza.
• The immediate release of all abducted volunteers;
• The immediate delivery of humanitarian aid directly to Palestinians that is independent of the control of the occupying power
• Full accountability for the military assaults on Madleen and Conscience.
Source: Consortium News.
