After seven days at sea, the Freedom Flotilla’s Handala was forcibly diverted to Israel, as Gaza officials and rights groups slammed the move as illegal and dangerous.
The Handala, a ship belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was seized by Israeli naval forces on Sunday and taken to the port of Ashdod, bringing an abrupt end to its mission to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The vessel, which had been sailing for seven days with a group of international activists on board, was intercepted in international waters.
Its passengers—including two members of France’s left-wing La France Insoumise party—were detained and interrogated by Israeli authorities. According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN), the detainees are expected to be transferred to police custody.
I love these people so much. The crew onboard the Handala freedom flotilla were chanting and singing together just minutes before their abduction by the Israeli forces. They are the best of humanity. We are all Handala. pic.twitter.com/3BgDB0ZwvD
— Yipeng Ge 葛义朋 (@yipengGe) July 26, 2025
The ship was carrying humanitarian aid and aiming to defy Israel’s long-standing naval blockade on Gaza.
The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, Adalah, said in a statement that it had dispatched lawyers to Ashdod and demanded immediate access to the detained activists.
In pre-recorded video messages shared by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on social media, activists urged their home countries to intervene and pressure Israel to secure their release.
International Condemnation
The seizure of the Handala sparked widespread condemnation.
The Handala has just been illegally intercepted by the Zionist entity of Israel while carrying baby formula to starving children pic.twitter.com/2awEkXXLwp
— Thiago Ávila | Gaza Freedom Flotilla (@thiagoavilabr) July 26, 2025
Gaza’s Government Media Office called the raid “a new act of piracy in international waters” and demanded international protection for humanitarian missions. The office condemned the Israeli operation as a violation of maritime law and international norms, stating:
“This blatant aggression is a flagrant violation of international law and maritime navigation rules, as the occupation once again acts as a thuggish force outside the law.”
Handala Intercepted: Israeli Navy Storms Flotilla Ship Headed for Gaza
The media office held the Israeli government fully responsible for the safety of those on board and called on the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take urgent action.
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas also condemned the interception, describing it as “a crime of piracy, a blatant challenge to human will, and an exposure of the falsity of the occupation.”
The group held the Netanyahu government accountable for the safety of the activists and emphasized the importance of continuing maritime efforts until the siege on Gaza is lifted.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) likewise issued a strong statement denouncing the incident, calling it “a Zionist piracy crime and a new episode in the deliberate targeting of any initiative to convey Gaza’s voice to the world.”
(PC, AJA)
