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Israel seeking to deport activists detained on Gaza-bound boat: NGO
Port of Ashdod (Israel) (AFP) – Israel is seeking to deport pro-Palestinian activists who were detained and brought to shore when their Gaza-bound boat was intercepted by the navy, a legal aid centre advising them said on Sunday.
Issued on: 27/07/2025 -
The 21 activists from 10 countries were taken into custody late Saturday when the Handala was boarded in international waters as it attempted to breach an Israeli maritime blockade of the Palestinian territory.
The Handala and its crew from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) were brought to the port of Ashdod in Israel, where, according to the legal rights centre Adalah, all but two -- a pair of dual US-Israeli nationals -- were being held under Israeli immigration law.
"Israel is handling the custody of the volunteers as though they had entered the country illegally -- even though they were forcibly taken from international waters and brought into Israel against their will," Adalah said in a statement after its lawyers were allowed to meet the detainees.
"The authorities presented them with two options: either agree to so-called 'voluntary deportation', or remain in detention and appear before a tribunal, to have their continued detention pending deportation reviewed," the statement continued.
According to Adalah, three detainees -- an Italian, an American and a French member of parliament, Gabrielle Cathala -- agreed to be deported and are expected to leave Israel in the coming hours.
The US-Israeli nationals were interrogated by Israeli police and released, while 12 international activists -- including another left-wing French MP, Emma Fourreau -- refused to sign voluntary deportation orders and are still in Israeli custody pending legal hearings.
The remaining four detainees, including a pair of Al Jazeera journalists, have retained private counsel.
'Peaceful' mission
Adalah reiterated that the activists were engaged in a "peaceful civilian mission", and maintained that both their detention and the Israeli blockade of Gaza were illegal.
The Israeli foreign ministry has said the navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering coastal waters off Gaza, noting after its intecerption that all the vessel's "passengers are safe".
Just before midnight local time on Saturday, video streamed live from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza.
The ship had been on course to try to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring a small quantity of humanitarian aid to the territory's Palestinian residents.
The Handala's crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on hunger strike if the Israeli military intercepted the boat and detained its passengers.
A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9 and towed to Ashdod.
It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel.
© 2025 AFP
Israel intercepts Gaza-bound activist boat Handala carrying humanitarian aid
Copyright Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP
Published on 27/07/2025 -
The Handala is the second ship operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza.
The Israeli military intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship seeking to provide aid to the Palestinian enclave, detaining 21 international activists and journalists, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on Sunday.
The Flotilla Coalition said the Israeli military “violently intercepted” the ship in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza, cutting the cameras and communication just before midnight Saturday.
“All cargo was non-military, civilian, and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel’s illegal blockade,’’ the group said in a statement.
According to the operators of the Handala vessel, the aid ship's cargo, intercepted by the Israeli military, contained baby formula, food, and medicine, and it sailed towards the port of Ashdod on Sunday, accompanied by an Israeli navy vessel.
The cargo “was non-military... and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation... under Israel’s illegal blockade,’’ it added.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment, but Israel's Foreign Ministry posted that the navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore.
The Handala is the second ship operated by the coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza.
Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship Madleen when the Israeli military seized it in June. The Swedish climate activist, alongside others, was later deported.
French left-wing lawmakers among crew
This time around, the ship carried what the Freedom Flotilla Coalition called a "diverse crew of activists, scholars, workers, artists, members of parliament, elected officials, and journalists from 12 countries."
Among them are Gabrielle Cathala, a French MP representing Val-de-Marne and Emma Fourreau, a French-Swedish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), environmentalist, and pro-Palestinian activist.
"They carry the dreams of millions of people across the world and bring with them a powerful message of international solidarity—that we will break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza," the group said.
The latest interception comes as Israel faces mounting international criticism over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, with concern growing over rising hunger deaths in the Palestinian enclave.
Italian and Spanish governments react
Reacting to the development, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had spoken this morning (Sunday) with Israeli Minister Gideon Sa'ar.
The Handala had two Italian activists aboard before it was intercepted. They were detained on the Freedom Flotilla ship and have arrived in the port of Ashdod, where they will be assisted by staff from the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv, an Italian government statement said.
With one of its citizens aboard the intercepted Handala vessel, Spain's foreign affairs ministry said it had tasked its cooperation agency, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, "to send everything needed to Gaza."
The Spanish government said it planned to advocate for the State of Palestine and the 2-state solution at the UN General Assembly on Monday, describing what it called the "induced famine" in Gaza as "a disgrace".
"Daily starvation deaths: 100,000 children and 40,000 babies are at risk of death. Israel must allow permanent, uninterrupted, and free passage of all necessary humanitarian aid", the Spanish government statement said.
Meanwhile, a regional human rights group, Adalah, denounced Israel's interception of the Handala ship, saying the raid on the vessel violated international law.
“The flotilla never entered Israeli territorial waters, nor was it intended to do so; it was headed toward the territorial waters of the State of Palestine, as recognised under international law,” Adalah said in a statement.
“Israel has no legal jurisdiction or authority over the international waters in which the vessel was sailing,” its statement added
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced it had begun a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, after its announcement Saturday night that airdrops of aid would begin in Gaza, with humanitarian corridors opened for United Nations convoys.
Israel Boards and Seizes Activist Vessel in International Waters
On Saturday night, the Israeli military intercepted and boarded an activist aid ship in international waters, preventing it from approaching Gaza with a cargo of food.
The British-flagged vessel Handala (AIS reporting name Navarn) got under way from Italy in mid-July, carrying 21 passengers and crew. The vessel's holds were loaded with baby formula and food to provide symbolic relief for the ongoing food shortage in Gaza.
At a position about 70 nautical miles from Gazan shores, an armed Israeli boarding team came aboard the vessel. The first moments of the interdiction were captured on a social media livestream, which soon ended. After taking command of the vessel, the boarding team changed course and headed for Ashdod; on arrival, the activists were detained and questioned.
"The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. "Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts."
A spokesperson for the vessel's operator, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, said that the unauthorized boarding in international waters was a violation of international law.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with Israel's foreign minister on Sunday to discuss the fate of two Italian activists who were aboard the vessel. According to Saar, the detainees have two options: sign a prewritten declaration and leave voluntarily, or stay in detention and be forcibly repatriated.
It is the second time this summer that Israel has intercepted and seized a Freedom Flotilla vessel in international waters. The first, the Madleen, was interdicted in June; the passengers on that voyage included activist Greta Thunberg and a member of European Parliament, Rima Hassan. The Madleen's crew reported a suspected drone attack off Malta in May, which delayed its departure for Gaza.
Israel's government has prohibited inbound vessel traffic to the shores of Gaza for 18 years, part of its attempt to prevent foreign armament from reaching terrorist group Hamas. In light of the current food shortage emergency in the territory, the naval blockade has taken on new meaning, and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has renewed long-dormant attempts to break it.
Gaza's Hamas-linked health ministry - the only source of statistical information on population-level health in the Gaza Strip - says that more than 130 people have died of starvation in the territory since the start of the Israeli operation in 2023. More than half were children, according to the ministry.
Amidst rising diplomatic pressure, Israel announced Sunday that it is allowing more UN aid convoys into Gaza, partially reversing food-delivery restrictions that it has had in place since March.
Jeremy Corbyn in conversation with Chris Smalls LIVE from the Gaza Flotilla
A livestream conversation between Jeremy Corbyn and Chris Smalls live from the flotilla heading to Gaza to break the siege!
19 Crew Members and 2 Journalists Sail Aboard Handala to Break Israel’s Blockade of Gaza
Gallipoli, Italy — On Sunday 20 July nineteen international human rights defenders and two journalists set sail on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s boat Handala in a bold mission to challenge Israel’s illegal and inhumane blockade of the Palestinian people in Gaza. This diverse crew of activists, scholars, workers, artists, members of parliament, elected officials, and journalists are from 12 countries. They carry the dreams of millions of people across the world and bring with them a powerful message of international solidarity – that we will break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.
The Handala, now at sea, carries life-saving humanitarian aid and a direct political message: the blockade must end.
Human Rights Defenders on Board:
- Christian Smalls (United States) – Founder of the Amazon Labor Union
- Huwaida Arraf (Palestine/United States) – Human rights attorney, Freedom Flotilla Coalition steering committee member
- Emma Fourreau (France/Sweden) – Member of the European Parliament and human rights activist
- Gabrielle Cathala (France) – Parliamentarian and former humanitarian worker
- Dr. Frank Romano (France/United States) – International lawyer and actor
- Robert Martin (Australia) – Human rights activist
- Jacob Berger (United States) – Jewish-American activist and content creator
- Bob Suberi (United States) – Jewish U.S. war veteran
- Antonio Mazzeo (Italy) – Teacher, peace researcher, and journalist
- Santiago González Vallejo (Spain) – Economist and human rights activist
- Sergio Toribio (Spain) – Engineer and environmental activist
- Justine Kempf (France) РNurse with M̩decins du Monde
- Ange Sahuquet (France) – Engineer and human rights activist
- Antonio La Picirella (Italy) – Climate and social justice organizer
- Braedon Peluso (United States) – Seasoned sailor and direct action activist
- Chlo̩ Fiona Ludden (United Kingdom/France) РFormer United Nations staff member and scientist
- Hatem Aouini (Tunisia) – Trade unionist and internationalist activist
- Tania “Tan” Safi (Australia) – Journalist and organizer born to Lebanese refugees
- Vigdis Bjorvand (Norway) 70-year-old activist with an unwavering commitment to justice spanning nearly five decadesJournalists on Board:
- Mohamed El Bakkali (Morocco) – Senior journalist with Al Jazeera, based in Paris
- Waad Al Musa (Iraq/United States) – Cameraman and field reporter with Al Jazeera
These participants join the Handala with a clear message: solidarity is not symbolic. It is physical, moral, and political action against apartheid, genocide, and occupation.
Full biographies here: https://freedomflotilla.org/2025-handala-participants/
The Gaza Freedom flotilla coalition is sailing its next ship to break the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The Handala departed for Gaza on Sunday from the Italian port of Gallipoli after stops in Augusta and Siracusa in Sicily. The journey to Gaza may take around 7 days.
Twenty-one persons from 10 countries are onboard the Handala, including seven U.S. citizens, representing the hundreds of millions of Americans who are strongly opposed to the U.S. complicity in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
The following nationalities are represented on the Handala: U.S. 7, France 4, Australia 2, Italy 2, Spain 2, Norway 1, Morocco 1, Tunisia 1, U.K. 1; Israel -2 U.S. citizens have dual citizenship with Israel.
U.S. Citizens on the Handala
Huwaida Arraf from Detroit, Michigan is a Palestinian who is a citizenship in both the U.S. and Israel. She was on several of the small boats that actually got into Gaza in 2008. She was also on the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla on the boat named Challenger One. She is a human rights lawyer. She is a steering committee member of the Gaza Flotilla coalition and U.S. Boats to Gaza.
Braedon Peluso from New York is a mariner with over a decade of experience at sea, much of it dedicated to activism in marine conservation and sea rescue organizations. In 2024, he was part of the Handala mission.
Frank Romano is a U.S.-French citizen from New York City and Paris. He is a human rights lawyer and filmmaker. He has been in the West Bank many times.
Robert Suberi is a U.S.-Israeli citizen from St. Louis, Missouri. He has been a crew member of Handala during two sailings in Northern Europe. He has done accompany work in the West Bank.
Chris Smalls from New Jersey is an American labor organizer known for his role in leading Amazon worker organization on Staten Island, New York He is a co-founder and the former president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) (2021–24).
Jacob Berger is a Jewish-American from Los Angeles. He is an actor and has done humanitarian work for Palestinians who have arrived in Cairo. He is active on social media.
Waad Aal Musa is an al Jazeera journalist, news producer and photographer, originally from Iraq, but now a U.S. citizen.
Other participants on the Handala are:
Emma Fourreau is a member of European Parliament from France and also claims Sweden. She was a volunteer on the ship Sea Shepard.
Grabielle Cathala is a member of the French Parliament who worked as a humanitarian worker in Haiti & Congo.
Vigdis Bjorvand is a 70-year-old activist from Norway. A grandmother, says she never wants her grandchild to say, “Grandma, you didn’t do anything.” She was on the Handala in 2023.
Antoinio La Piccirella is a mariner from Italy with worldwide activist experience.
Sergio Toribio Sanchez is a maritime mariner from Spain. He was also on the flotilla ship Madleen last month and filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government for involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the attack on the Madleen.
Ange Sahuquet is a maritime engineer from France who served on the activist boat Sea Shepard.
Santiago González Vallejo is a Spanish activist with the flotilla coalition partner Rumbo a Gaza.
Tan Safi from Australia has been a key part of the flotilla media team creating many Instagram posts for the various voyages since 2024.
Mohamed El Bakkali is an al Jazeera journalist from Morocco.
Antonio Mazzeo is an award-winning journalist from Italy. In 2020, he was awarded the “Golden Dove for Peace” by the Archivio Disarmo in recognition “for having interpreted journalism and writing for years as a mission to defend human rights and denounce injustice.”
Robert Martin is a member of Australian Boats to Gaza and is a social media influencer.
Justine Kempf is a nurse from France who has worked with Doctors Without Borders in the DRC and will be the medical person onboard.
Chloe Ludden recently resigned her position working with the United Nations in New York because of the Israeli genocide of Gaza and is from the U.K. and France.
Hatem Aouini is an longtime activist from Tunisia.
The ship has been in the Gaza flotilla fleet since 2023 and made two Northern European educational community voyages before arriving in the Mediterranean in 2025.
Monitor the progress of the Handala voyage here.
Update on Other Flotilla ships
The ship Conscience that was bombed by Israel in international waters off Malta in May 2025 is in Turkey. The international maritime community has still not investigated the bombing of a civilian ship in international waters.
The unarmed, civilian ship Madleen that was stolen from the Gaza Freedom flotilla 110 nautical miles off Gaza in international waters is illegally seized and remains in Israel. The participants who were kidnapped, arrested and taken against their wills to Israel are all home after having been imprisoned in Israel and deported.
Ann Wright is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and a former U.S. diplomat who resigned in 2003 in opposition to the U.S. war on Iraq. She is a member of U.S. Boats to Gaza and is on the steering committee of the Gaza Flotilla coalition. She was in Gaza 10 times between 2009 and 2014 and was on two flotilla boats that were seized in international waters in 2010 and 2016. She was imprisoned and also deported.
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