Israeli forces intercepted the Handala, a Gaza-bound ship carrying aid and activists, within 70 nautical miles of its intended destination on Saturday night.
“The occupation has disabled our cameras and all communication has been lost,” a spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) told CNN in a message.
A YouTube livestream showed armed personnel boarding the ship, while the activists on the deck, all wearing life jackets, held their hands in the air in surrender. One of the helmeted personnel appears to manipulate the camera streaming on the deck, turning it around. The stream ended soon after that.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed in a statement on X that the “Israeli navy has stopped the vessel Navarn from illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza,” using the Handala’s original name.
“The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe,” the statement continued. “Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.
The Handala, named for a famous Palestinian cartoon character, is part of the FFC, which has attempted numerous times to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza via sea and deliver aid to Palestinians there.
Two members of the French and European parliaments are aboard, according to FFC, as well as Christian Small, a US trade unionist.
“The unarmed boat was carrying life-saving supplies when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers abducted, and its cargo seized,” the FFC said in a statement issued soon after the live stream ended.
The statement added that the supplies included “baby formula, diapers, food, and medicine.”
A few hours before the ship was intercepted, the FFC released a statement saying that the Handala was steering towards Egypt in an effort to avoid being boarded.
The end of Handala’s journey towards Gaza comes a little over a month after another ship from the Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was similarly intercepted on its way to the enclave.
That ship, crewed by a group that included climate activist Greta Thunberg, was also laden with aid. Israeli authorities towed their ship to Ashdod, and all aboard were deported from Israel afterwards.
On Sunday, the crew arrived at the port of Ashdod, according to the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, the Palestinian initiative that organized the voyage.
The committee added that diplomatic representatives and lawyers were awaiting permission to access the crew.
Earlier on Saturday evening, crew members on the deck of the Handala were seen donning reflective life jackets after Australian volunteer Tania Safi told CNN in a voice note the ship was being “circled by Israeli Heron drones.”
CNN is unable to verify the claim and has reached out to Israeli authorities for comment.
“Everyone here has prepared for almost every possible scenario that Israel could put us through,” Safi said on Saturday afternoon. “If they intercept us, it would be a violation of international maritime law.”
The FFC states on their website that the 19 activists and two journalists on the Handala came from numerous countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and others. Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN they are aware that a Norwegian citizen was aboard the ship.
According to the FFC, four aboard the Handala are US citizens. CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment.
On Thursday, a State Department spokesperson called the activist aid ship a “selfie flotilla,” dismissing the endeavor as a stunt. “The latest ‘selfie flotilla’ should end the stunts,” the spokesperson said. “The real story is the serious people who put their lives on the line to get food and aid to the people of Gaza without it falling into the hands of terrorists.”
The spokesperson added that the State Department has “no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens” and referred to the government of Israel for more information.
