By Daanyaal Matthews
Israel has detained the Madleen flotilla, apprehending the activists on board who were attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the increasingly impoverished Gaza Strip.
The Madleen was operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and carried several notable international human rights activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The vessel’s mission was to deliver aid following Israel’s total blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has condemned the actions of the Israeli regime, stating that the ship and its crew were unlawfully detained, as Israel had no jurisdiction over the vessel.
Speaking on VOC’s Newsbeat, Palestinian activist, journalist, and writer Lauren Booth described the apprehension of the Madleen as reprehensible, arguing that Israel had overstepped its jurisdictional boundaries.
“Israel contravenes international law continually, in all different areas, and the Madleen was not within any ideal of Israeli waters. Israeli waters end 12 kilometers from the coast of Gaza; this was at least 80 to 100 to 120 miles from the coast,” stressed Booth.
Previously, Israeli forces also targeted a second Freedom Flotilla Coalition vessel, the Conscience, with a drone strike—injuring four and setting the ship alight in European waters, an act that was met with little response from the international community.
Booth expressed hope that the presence of high-profile figures like Greta Thunberg aboard the Madleen, and its subsequent seizure, would compel nations to respond to Israeli violations.
“I think the aid convoy wants to call on all of us. One boat won’t make a difference, but thousands of boats coming from around the world—it’s costly and it’s difficult, but they have a way of doing it—and only this, a flotilla of international bravery, will stop Israel from what it’s doing in the high seas and force the hand of the international community to force aid into Gaza,” stated Booth.
Listen to the full interview here:
