DaysofPal- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed “Handala” ship, which is a part of the Freedom Flotilla, on Saturday evening as it neared the shores of the Gaza Strip to break the ongoing Israeli blockade.
The raid came nearly two weeks after the ship set sail from the port of Syracuse, Italy.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced that the IOF assaulted the ship while it was still in international waters, calling the act a blatant violation of international law.
Footage from onboard cameras showed the moment Israeli forces boarded the vessel and detained the activists, shortly before the livestream was cut off and contact was lost.
The coalition confirmed that Israeli forces abducted all 21 activists on board and took them to an undisclosed location, raising serious concerns about their safety.
Before the raid, the crew had issued a distress call after Israeli boats and drones approached the vessel. An emergency protocol was activated on board the “Handala” amid fears of an imminent interception or attack.
Earlier, communications with the ship had been lost on Thursday. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition later announced on Friday morning that contact had been re-established and that the ship was about 349 nautical miles from Gaza at that time, continuing its humanitarian mission.
The Handala ship had departed from Syracuse, Italy, on July 13, and temporarily docked in Gallipoli on July 15 to address technical issues before resuming its voyage to Gaza on July 20.
It was carrying 21 international activists aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
This is not the first time Israel has targeted Freedom Flotilla ships. In May, an Israeli drone attacked the “Al-Dameer” ship as it attempted to reach Gaza, damaging its hull and igniting a fire in its front section.
In June, Israeli forces seized the “Marianne” ship in international waters and arrested 12 international activists on board, who were later released under the condition that they not return to the mission.
Such attempts came amid severe famine and genocide the IOF are carrying out against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza strip which killed over 59 thousand people and injured over 150 thousands others.
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