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Israel has stopped Handala, the Gaza-bound ship carrying aid and activists, within 70 nm of its intended destination on Saturday night.
A spokesperson for Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said that the occupation has disabled their cameras, and all communication has been lost.
A YouTube livestream showed armed men boarding the Handala, while the activists wearing life jackets surrendered. The stream ended soon after that.
The unarmed vessel was loaded with lifesaving supplies, including baby formula, food, and medicine, when it was boarded by Israeli forces who seized control over the cargo, per FFC.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on X that its navy stopped the vessel from illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza.
It also added that the ship is making its way to the Israeli coast and all onboard are safe. Among the activists were two members of the French and European Parliaments, along with a U.S trade unionist.
The statement continued, “Unauthorised attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.”
The Handala, named after a renowned Palestinian cartoon character, is a part of the FFC, which has made many attempts to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza via sea and deliver aid to Palestinians.
Previously, another of its ships, called Madleen, was intercepted similarly while it was on its way to Gaza. On board the vessel were climate activist Greta Thunberg and others who were deported from Israel later, after their ship was towed to Ashdod.