The Israeli army stormed the Madeleine ship and kidnapped activists heading to Gaza

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced early Monday that the Israeli army had kidnapped international activists aboard the ship Madeleine, which was en route to the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the years-long blockade on the territory.

The coalition said in a statement via Telegram, “The Israeli military kidnapped the volunteers aboard the Madeleine, and all contact with the boat was lost from the moment of the raid”.

In the same context, the Israeli military had begun seizing the Gaza-bound ship Madeleine, and was arresting the 12 activists on board, pending their deportation from the country.

The Israeli Navy towed the ship towards the port of Ashdod, and the Israeli Channel 12 reported that naval forces took control of the ship while it was on its way to Ashdod, confirming that no injuries were recorded.

At dawn on Monday, the Israeli army stormed the Madeleine, a ship carrying international activists and activists in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to break the blockade imposed on the Strip.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on Telegram, “Contact with the Madeleine has been lost, and the Israeli military is boarding it”.

The raid was preceded by a live broadcast from the activists on board the ship, in which they reported that Israeli boats were surrounding the ship, while Israeli soldiers demanded that the activists raise their hands.

Drones also hovered over the ship before storming it, dropping an unknown white liquid, according to a live broadcast from on board the ship.

The raid came hours after Israeli warnings to prevent the ship from reaching the shores of the Gaza Strip, deeming it an illegal attempt to break the naval blockade, according to a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to take action to prevent the ship from reaching the Gaza Strip, where it’s expected to enter territorial waters within hours.

The Israeli Channel 12 also reported that the Israeli authorities had completed preparations to intercept the ship and tow it to the port of Ashdod on the Mediterranean Sea.

The Madeleine is currently carrying 12 people, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham.

Another ship belonging to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, the “Conscience”, was attacked by an Israeli drone on May 2nd while attempting to sail towards Gaza, causing a hole in its hull and a fire in its bow.

On Monday, Hamas also considered the Israeli military’s interception of the solidarity ship Madeleine, which was heading to break the siege on the Gaza Strip, organized state terrorism and a flagrant violation of international law.

In a statement, it condemned the Israeli crime of piracy by intercepting the solidarity ship Madeleine in international waters, forcibly preventing it from reaching the Gaza Strip, escorting it to the port of Ashdod, and detaining the international solidarity activists on board who had come on a humanitarian mission aimed at breaking the siege and exposing the crime of starvation.

Hamas praised the stance of the solidarity activists aboard the ship, stressing that “Gaza isn’t alone, but rather enjoys support from the free people of the world, and that the conscience of humanity remains alive in the face of the fascist occupation”.

Hamas demanded the immediate release of the activists, holding Israel fully responsible for their safety.

The United Nations and international organizations also called for urgent action to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and condemn the crime of intercepting the ship.

Hamas indicated that the detention of the Madeleine would “increase the occupation’s isolation and expose its criminal face to the peoples of the world”.