In an urgent letter addressed to the Israeli authorities, the Adalah Legal Center for Human Rights demanded the immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of 12 international activists who were forcibly detained aboard the "Madeleine," one of the Freedom Flotilla ships, after the Israeli Navy seized the ship early Monday morning.
The center considered the seizure of the ship and its accompanying detention to be "an illegal step under international law." Meanwhile, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanese, called for urgent action to secure the release of the Madeleine and its crew.
On board the sailing ship were 12 French, German, Brazilian, Turkish, Swedish, Spanish, and Dutch activists who set sail from Italy on June 1st to "break the Israeli siege" on Gaza, which is suffering a catastrophic humanitarian situation amid Israel's war of extermination on the territory.
Adalah noted that the ship set sail more than a week ago on a humanitarian mission aimed at delivering essential aid to the Gaza Strip, including medical equipment, baby formula, and water purification supplies. The voyage also aimed to "open a safe and popular sea corridor to Gaza in the face of the 17-year-old blockade," adding that the move came against the backdrop of "accusations that Israel is committing genocide that has been ongoing for more than 21 months, causing a worsening humanitarian catastrophe."
According to the statement, the ship was sailing in international waters when it was intercepted at 3:00 a.m., "after being surrounded by the Israeli Navy with the participation of drones." The statement explained that "the ship did not enter Israeli territorial waters, and this was not part of its plan. Rather, it was heading towards the territorial waters of the Palestinian state, as recognized under international law," meaning that "Israel has no legal jurisdiction to intercept the ship or arrest those on board."
Adalah warned that "the arrest of unarmed civilian activists who were seeking to deliver humanitarian aid constitutes a flagrant violation of international law," stressing that "the blockade imposed on Gaza is used as a military weapon to starve the civilian population, constitutes collective punishment prohibited under international humanitarian law, and violates the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the genocide case (South Africa v. Israel)."
The statement said, "Israeli forces towed the ship to Ashdod port, where all activists were taken into custody without any official announcement of their whereabouts or legal status, and without allowing them access to lawyers."
The center concluded its statement by calling on the Israeli authorities to "immediately reveal the whereabouts of the 12 activists, their legal status, and ensure they receive the necessary legal representation," stressing that it will take legal steps in the coming days to secure their release.
In turn, Albanese said in a post on the X platform, "The Israeli forces' interception and seizure of the Madeleine ship in international waters calls for a full explanation from the Israeli authorities."
She added that Britain "must urgently seek this clarification and ensure the immediate release of the ship and its crew." The UN rapporteur emphasized that "the Madeleine is performing a legitimate humanitarian mission and must be allowed to continue toward the Gaza Strip."
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the military had seized the ship "Madeleine," which was en route to the Gaza Strip, and taken it to Israel. The military claimed it intended to deport the activists on board to their countries.
Overnight, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which operated the voyage, announced that the Israeli military had intercepted the vessel. It reported that "communication with the Madeleine was lost. The Israeli military boarded the ship," adding that Israeli forces had kidnapped the ship's crew.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition also denounced the "clear violation of international law," asserting that the interception occurred in international waters. Coalition official Howayda Arraf emphasized, "Israel does not have the legal authority to detain the international volunteers aboard the Madeleine."
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Adalah demands disclosure of the detention location of Madeleine activists