The Israeli army intercepts the ship "Madeleine" and arrests its passengers.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced on Monday that the volunteers aboard the ship "Madeleine" were "kidnapped by Israeli forces." The coalition called for urgent pressure on relevant foreign ministries to ensure the safety of the activists and secure their release.

Sources from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported that contact with the ship "Madeleine" was completely lost early Monday morning. They explained that Israeli forces boarded the ship and arrested its crew, as it continued sailing toward the shores of the Gaza Strip carrying humanitarian aid.

Israeli reports indicated, early Monday morning, that forces from the Israeli army's Shayetet 13 naval commando unit seized control of the ship "Madeleine" at sea and led it toward the port of Ashdod. No casualties were reported on either side, Israeli media reported.

Katz directs the army to show footage of the October 7 attack on the Madeleine passengers.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said in a statement Monday that he had instructed the Israeli military to show what he described as a "film of the atrocities" that occurred on October 7 to passengers on the Madeleine, which was towed to the port of Ashdod after being seized.

"It is fitting that anti-Semitic (Swedish activist) Greta Thunberg and her Hamas-supporting friends see exactly which terrorist organization they came to support, what atrocities it committed against women, the elderly, and children, and who Israel is fighting," Katz said.

Katz praised the "swift and safe capture of the Madeleine ship, preventing it from breaching the blockade and reaching Gaza's shores," stressing that "the army will continue its war against Hamas's killers with all its moral justice until it is eliminated, all hostages are freed, and the security of the State of Israel is guaranteed."

Amid intense Israeli airstrikes over the Madeleine and provocations that included spraying an unknown white substance on its surface, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported earlier that the Israeli military had jammed the ship's communications signals bound for Gaza.

For its part, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced early Monday that the ship "Madeleine," which the Israeli military seized while en route to the Gaza Strip, was "safely sailing toward the Israeli coast," and said that the activists on board were expected to be "returned" to their countries.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had previously announced that the Navy had contacted the ship's crew via an international civilian communications system and issued instructions to change its course, claiming it was approaching a "restricted zone," in preparation for "seizing" the vessel.

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said in televised remarks that the boat "Madeleine" did not pose any security threat to Israel, stressing that Israel "has no legal authority to stop it in international waters."

Earlier on Monday morning, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Albanese, announced that five Israeli naval boats had surrounded the "Madeleine" ship, part of the Freedom Flotilla, which was heading to the Gaza Strip.

Albanese noted that the ship's captain urged the crew to remain calm, stay seated, and put on their life jackets. The Madeleine crew also informed the Israeli forces that the ship was carrying humanitarian aid and that they intended to leave safely.

For his part, Zaher Birawi, head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, said that Israeli commando boats approached the ship, noting that they had not yet approached very closely. However, he suggested that this move was likely a prelude to an operation to seize the "Madeleine" in the coming hours.

French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan posted a video from the ship, in which the sound of sirens could be heard, and wrote, "They are here." Activist Thiago Avila reported from the ship, "We are now surrounded by Israeli naval vessels."

Sources in the coordination room reported that there was no direct contact between the Israeli military boats and the Madeleine, which was heading towards the Gaza Strip, despite the vessels approaching the ship for a period of time and then departing.

Activist Thiago Avila, one of the ship's passengers, said in statements issued early Monday that the boats approached the Madeleine in territorial waters near the Egyptian coast, but did not initiate any contact or intervention and left without any confrontation.

For her part, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestine, Albanese, said she had spoken again with the Madeleine's crew and confirmed that the situation is calm and safe at this stage, while speedboats continue to monitor the ship from a distance without disrupting its course.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused those on board the Gaza-bound ship "Madeleine" of seeking "media propaganda" rather than providing humanitarian aid, according to an English-language statement issued early Monday.

"The maritime area off the coast of Gaza is closed to shipping traffic. The yacht claims to be carrying humanitarian aid, but it is in fact a media stunt for propaganda purposes," she continued. "We call on all parties to act responsibly and send aid through available mechanisms, not through provocative actions."

French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, aboard the Madeleine, a ship bound for the Gaza Strip, said that a drone hovered over the ship and dropped a white liquid on those on board. Activist Avila stated that "the white liquid dropped by the drones is intended to intimidate passengers and obstruct the boat's visibility."

Israeli media reported on Sunday evening that members of the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit made preparations to seize the Freedom Flotilla ship, the Madeleine, before it approached the coast of the Gaza Strip.

According to Israeli reports, the Israeli Navy intends to issue a warning to the ship's passengers before they enter its economic waters, warning them against entering "Israeli borders without permission," and will ask them to change course and return.

According to reports, "If the activists comply with the demands, they will be released. If they refuse, Shayetet 13 fighters will take control of the ship and escort it to the port of Ashdod," paving the way for their airlift.

Israel's Channel 14 reported on Sunday evening that Israeli security services had decided to carry out a "quiet" takeover of the ship "Madeleine" within the next few hours. According to the report, the ship will be towed to the port of Ashdod, and the activists will then be quickly deported by plane to their home country. The exact date of the operation or the number of participants was not specified.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan 11) reported on Sunday evening that members of the Israeli Navy's elite unit, Shayetet 13, conducted exercises simulating a "non-violent takeover" of the ship "Madeleine," noting that the ship was expected to be close to the Gaza coast tonight.

"We will take control of the ship nonviolently, arrest them, and then deport them abroad that same night," Kan 11 quoted a senior Israeli security official as saying Sunday evening. The official noted Israeli estimates that the operation will be documented and followed live on a widely circulated global network.

Several participants in the trip confirmed that they will continue their efforts to break the siege and deliver symbolic aid to the residents of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Turkish activist Hussein Shoaib said from aboard the ship: "We are still advancing toward Gaza. These are crucial hours for us. We will be there tomorrow if we are not hindered."