Breaking News: Israeli intervention against the Madleen ship carrying aid to Gaza! 12 activists, including 2 Turks, are on board
It has been learned that Israel has intervened with the Madleen ship carrying aid to Gaza. It was reported that there are a total of 12 activists on board, 2 of whom are Turkish. The ship, with which contact has been lost, includes prominent figures ranging from Greta Thunberg to European Parliament member Rima Hassan. It was reported that the volunteers on the Madleen ship were abducted by Israeli soldiers. Meanwhile, the first images from the ship have begun to emerge.
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The Madleen ship, which was en route to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and carried 12 human rights defenders, has been subjected to an intervention by the Israeli military. It was reported that all contact with the ship was lost following the intervention.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition provided information regarding the developments on the ship in an announcement made via Telegram. The statement noted that Israeli soldiers had boarded the Madleen ship, stating, "Contact with the Madleen has been lost. The Israeli military has boarded the ship. The volunteers on the Madleen ship have been abducted by the Israeli military."
The call issued urged for pressure to be placed on the foreign ministries of the countries of which these individuals are citizens, in order to ensure the safety of the activists who set out to support the Palestinian people, who are struggling with a major hunger crisis in Gaza.
In short clips shared by Yasemin Acar, one of the human rights defenders on board, a soldier believed to be from the Israeli military can be heard telling those recording on their phones to "turn off their phones." In the same video, it is clearly visible that Acar's hands are in the air.
According to information shared by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's social media accounts, a white chemical liquid was poured onto the ship before the operation, and the raid was carried out by the Israeli military afterward.
"CONNECTION LOST WHILE SAYING ANOTHER BOAT IS APPROACHING"
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese announced on the social media platform X that she had been in contact with the captain of the Madleen ship. According to Albanese, she was informed that there were no injuries when the ship was stopped.
Albanese included the following sentences in her post: "I heard the soldiers talking while the captain was speaking to me on the phone. The connection was lost while he was saying 'another boat is approaching'."
12 ACTIVISTS ON BOARD, INCLUDING 2 TURKS
The Madleen ship was carrying French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, Yasemin Acar from Germany, Hüseyin Şuayb Ordu from Turkey, Thiago Avila from Brazil, Sergio Toribio from Spain, Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands, Baptiste Andre, Reva Viard, Pascal Maurieras, and Yanis Mhamdi from France, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and journalist Omar Faiad.
Francesca Albanese stated that the human rights defenders detained by Israel must be released immediately. In her post on X, she also drew attention to the purpose of the Madleen, saying, "Every Mediterranean port should send boats carrying aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They will sail together, they will be unstoppable together."
The UN official also drew attention to the blockade that is deepening the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and called on the international community to lift this blockade. In her assessment, Albanese used the following expression: "Breaking the blockade is a legal responsibility for states and a moral imperative for all of us."