Freedom Flotilla Coalition accuses Israel of ‘forcibly intercepting’ the Madleen
In a statement just released, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has accused Israel of “forcibly intercepting” the Madleen and acting with “total impunity”.
It says that at 3.02am CET, the ship was “unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated.”
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said Huwaida Arraf, a Freedom Flotilla organiser.
These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
Key events
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, has called on others to send aid vessels to Gaza, adding “BreakingTheSiege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us.”
While #Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together—united, they will be unstoppable.”
While #Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together—united, they will be unstoppable.#BreakingTheSiege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us. pic.twitter.com/FeaD1Fq4Dk
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 9, 2025
The Madleen left the port of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy, on 1 June and was attempting to reach Gaza to bring in a symbolic amount of aid and raise international awareness of the continuing humanitarian crisis.
A months-long aid blockade on the territory was slightly eased in mid-May, allowing a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the territory. But malnutrition is spreading, medics and aid workers have warned, with UN officials describing Gaza as “the hungriest place on Earth”.
On Sunday, Israel’s foreign minister said he would “not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas.”
Israel’s plan to concentrate food delivery in hubs guarded by private security contractors and the Israeli military and provided by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has proved to be chaotic and dangerous, critics say.
At least four people were killed and others wounded by Israeli fire on Sunday, about a kilometre from a food distribution point in Gaza, Palestinian medics and officials said. The deaths bring the number of people who have been killed while trying to find food in Gaza since 27 May, when GHF became responsible for civilian food provision, to 110. More than 1,000 have been injured.
Last month, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said another of its vessels was bombed by drones and disabled while in international waters off Malta as it headed towards Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the group operating the vessel, is posting a series of pre-recorded videos online of activist who were on board the Madleen.
In one, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg says, “if you see this video we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters.” She calls on her supporters to put “pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
In another, French activist Reve Viard says “If you are seeing this video, it means we got intercepted by the Israeli forces.” He asks that his supporters share the video, to “put pressure on the French government so the we could be released with our friends.”
Before communication with the vessel was lost, Yanis Mhamdi, a French journalist on board the Madleen, posted this video online, which apparently shows a drone, flying over the ship.
Je suis journaliste et après avoir couvert pendant une semaine le convoi de la Feeedom Flotilla mon arrestation par l’armée israélienne est imminente. Des humanitaires et des journalistes n’ont pas être arrêté J’appelle tous mes confrères à se mobiliser. @blast_france pic.twitter.com/T1hiNZXLQf
— Yanis Mhamdi (@yanmdi) June 8, 2025
In the post he writes, “I am a journalist, and after covering the Freedom Flotilla convoy for a week, my arrest by the Israeli army is imminent. Humanitarian workers and journalists should not be arrested. I call on all my colleagues to mobilize.”
Israel releases video of passengers from the Madleen
Israel’s foreign ministry has posted a video of the activists from the Madleen, including French MEP Rima Hassan and climate activist Greta Thunberg.
In its post, the ministry said “All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.”
All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. pic.twitter.com/tLZZYcspJO
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
The organisation behind the aid mission said in a statement earlier that the Israeli army boarded the vessel and “abducted” the crew.
We had a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry in the last hour, saying those on board would be “expected to return to their home countries.”
The team working for French MEP, Rima Hassan, who is on board the Madleen, say they have lost contact with her.
They claim she was “arrested in international waters by the Israeli army.”
In a post on her X account, they released the last image from a live feed on board the vessel.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Madleen has 12 activists on board. Among them are Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg, and Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament.
Before leaving Sicily on board the Madleen, Thunberg told reporters: “We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying. Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And, no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the livestreamed genocide.”
Freedom Flotilla Coalition accuses Israel of ‘forcibly intercepting’ the Madleen
In a statement just released, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has accused Israel of “forcibly intercepting” the Madleen and acting with “total impunity”.
It says that at 3.02am CET, the ship was “unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated.”
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said Huwaida Arraf, a Freedom Flotilla organiser.
These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
Israel’s foreign ministry says Madleen is ‘making its way’ to Israel
Israel’s foreign ministry has said that the Madleen is “safely making its way to the shores of Israel.”
In a post on X, the ministry says “The passengers are expected to return to their home countries.”
While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.
There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies.”
Referring to the aid-vessel as a “selfie yacht”, the ministry says in the statement that the aid on board “will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”
The “selfie yacht” of the “celebrities” is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries.
While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included… pic.twitter.com/eEZSJJHVfd
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition shares video of the Madleen before communication lost
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, who are operating the Gaza-bound aid vessel, has posted a video from the Madleen in the moment before communication was lost.
It shows a chaotic scene, as activists wearing life jackets, gather as lights flash around them. One person calls for everyone to “ditch their phones” and throw them overboard. From outside, a loudspeaker can be heard.
The activists then sit and raise their hands, in what appears to be a preparation to be boarded.
One of the members, speaking on a phone, says “we are being boarded, right now … everyone here is safe. No one is wounded right now … Please raise the alarm.”
Earlier, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the activist group operating the vessel, posted on Telegram, that the Madleen was “under assault in international waters.”
Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white irritant substance. Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio.”
Before communication was apparently lost with the Madleen, a number of activists on board the vessel posted video and images of a white substance on the deck of the boat.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament, posted this image to her X account in the last hour.
Communications lost with Gaza-bound aid ship
Multiple sources have reported that communications have been lost with the Gaza-bound Madleen, amid reports that it has been boarded by the Israeli army.
Al Jazeeera, who have a journalist on board who has been running a live feed, said they lost communication with the vessel “after Israeli commandos intercepted it in international waters.”
They demanded that everyone on board turn off their phones, and we have lost contact with Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Faiad as well as our live feed.”
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group operating the vessel, said that “connection had been lost with the Madleen.”
UN special rapporteur says she has lost communication with the Madleen
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, has been in touch with the Madleen and says she lost connection with the captain a 1am UK time.
I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me. I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that “another boat is approaching”.
BREAKING
1AM UK time. Israeli speedboat reached Madleen. “At the time the boat was intercepted no one is wounded” the captain asked me to record. I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me. I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that… https://t.co/BVzbjd4zyK— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 9, 2025
Freedom Flotilla Coalition says the Madleen has been boarded by the Israeli army
In a post online, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has said their aid ship, bound for Gaza, has been boarded by the Israeli army.
Connection has been lost on the ‘Madleen’. Israeli army have boarded the vessel.”
The Madleen says it is attempting to reach the shores of the territory to bring in a symbolic amount of aid and raise international awareness of the continuing humanitarian crisis.
Earlier, there were reports from activist on board that Israeli drones were flying over head and spraying with “a white irritant substance.”
Opening summary
The Israeli foreign ministry has said the navy is communicating with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s (FFC) ship bound for Gaza and has advised it to change course.
The FFC has said its Gaza-bound ship was “under assault”. It said the Madleen has had its communications jammed and was surrounded by quadcopters.
Earlier, the Israeli defence minister has threatened to “take all necessary measures” to prevent a humanitarian ship carrying climate campaigner Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza.
The Madleen says it is attempting to reach the shores of the territory to bring in a symbolic amount of aid and raise international awareness of the continuing humanitarian crisis.
But on Sunday, Israel Katz ordered the Israeli military to stop the ship from getting anywhere near Gaza.
“I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act so that the hate flotilla … does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take all necessary measures to that end,” Katz said in a statement.
The situation is developing quickly. We will bring you the latest updates here.
