Israeli Military Attacks Handala in International Waters, Abducts 21 Unarmed Civilians

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirms that its civilian vessel Handala, en route to break Israel’s illegal, genocidal blockade on Palestinians in Gaza, has been violently intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters about forty nautical miles from Gaza. At 23:43 EEST Palestine time the Occupation cut the cameras on board Handala and we have lost all communication with our ship. The unarmed boat was carrying life-saving supplies when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers abducted, and its cargo seized. The interception occurred in international waters outside Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, in violation of international maritime law. Handala carried a shipment of critical humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, including baby formula, diapers, food, and medicine. All cargo was non-military, civilian, and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel’s illegal blockade. The Handala carried 21 civilians representing 12 countries, including parliamentarians, lawyers, journalists, labor organizers, environmentalists, and other human rights defenders. The crew includes: Human Rights Defenders Aboard Handala, by country: United States: Christian Smalls – Amazon Labor Union founder; Huwaida Arraf – Human rights attorney (Palestine/US); Jacob Berger – Jewish-American activist; Bob Suberi – Jewish U.S. war veteran; Braedon Peluso – Sailor and direct action activist; Dr. Frank Romano – International lawyer and actor (France/US). France: Emma Fourreau – MEP and activist (France/Sweden); Gabrielle Cathala – Parliamentarian and former humanitarian worker; Justine Kempf – Nurse, Médecins du Monde; Ange Sahuquet – Engineer and human rights activist. Italy: Antonio Mazzeo – Teacher, peace researcher, journalist; Antonio “Tony” La Picirella – Climate and social justice organizer. Spain: Santiago González Vallejo – Economist and activist; Sergio Toribio – Engineer and environmentalist. Australia: Robert Martin – Human rights activist; Tania “Tan” Safi – Journalist and organizer of Lebanese descent. Norway: Vigdis Bjorvand – 70-year-old lifelong justice activist. United Kingdom / France: Chloé Fiona Ludden – Former UN staff and scientist. Tunisia: Hatem Aouini – Trade unionist and internationalist activist. Journalists Aboard Handala Morocco: Mohamed El Bakkali – Senior journalist with Al Jazeera (based in Paris). Iraq / United States: Waad Al Musa – Cameraman and field reporter with Al Jazeera. The attack on Handala is the third violent act by Israeli forces against Freedom Flotilla missions this year alone. It follows the drone bombing of the civilian aid ship Conscience in European waters in May, which injured four people and disabled the vessel, and the illegal seizure of the Madleen in June, where Israeli forces abducted twelve civilians, including a Member of the European Parliament. Shortly before their abduction, the Handala‘s crew affirmed that they would be hunger-striking if detained by Israeli forces and not accepting any food from the Israeli Occupation Forces. Israeli officials have ignored the International Court of Justice’s binding orders that require the facilitation of humanitarian access to Gaza. The continued attacks on peaceful civilian missions represent a grave violation of international law. “Israel has no legal authority to detain international civilians aboard the Handala,” said Ann Wright a member of the Freedom Flotilla’s steering committee. “This is not a matter of internal Israeli jurisdiction. These are foreign nationals operating under international law in international waters. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end.”