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A humanitarian aid vessel bound for Gaza came under attack by Israeli forces on Monday after activists aboard reported being surrounded by multiple Israeli naval vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.
At around 11:00 p.m. local time on Monday, activist Thiago Avila said the Madleen was surrounded by Israeli boats, adding that they were being "attacked." Another activist, Rima Hassan, shared live footage on X showing Israeli troops surrounding the aid ship.
After being circled by multiple Israeli ships, Avila later stated: "This, unfortunately, has been a very unlikely false alarm. We were surrounded by many lights all at once, and they were circling our boat, but in the end, they kept going their own way."
A UN Special Rapporteur confirmed that five Israeli vessels were circling the Madleen, which is carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
The 18-meter sailing boat departed from the Port of San Giovanni Li Cuti in Catania, Sicily, on June 1 as part of a mission organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to deliver aid to Gaza. The vessel carries urgently needed supplies including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children's prosthetics.
Among the 12 people aboard are 11 activists and one journalist from Al Jazeera Mubasher. The international group includes Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, and participants from Türkiye, Germany, France, Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Turkish activist Suayb Ordu issued a video statement Sunday pledging complete non-resistance to any Israeli intervention. "If any harm comes to me, if they kill me, and they cannot prove it with visual evidence, let it be known that I took no action," Ordu said on Instagram.
"Even if they point a gun to my head and shoot, I will not raise a hand. I won't say a word, I won't even look them in the eye. We are moving forward peacefully, and I have the utmost respect for my friends on board and their safety," Ordu said.
Referring to reports that "the Israeli army plans to raid the vessel, deport the activists on board and open fire if there is resistance," Ordu said the Israeli army might choose someone on the boat as a "scapegoat" to justify any potential aggression. Ordu said "As a Turk, I am a potential scapegoat."
Ordu challenged Israeli forces to document any potential raid with cameras. "At this point, I challenge Israel—if they have the courage—to come aboard with cameras and record the raid. Let them share it with the world," he added.
"If they come to raid this boat, we will put on our life jackets, sit down with our hands empty and wait. We will not take any provocative action. We will not react in any way. If they harm any of us despite this, know that they are lying."
"I want the whole world to hear this: I will not show any resistance—not even in my facial expression—no matter what they do. If any harm comes to one of us, they are completely lying. That is called murder," he added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had previously threatened the Freedom Flotilla, instructing the Israeli military to "do whatever is necessary" to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza's shores. Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed that preparations were underway to take action against the aid boat headed for Palestinians in Gaza under Israeli bombardment.
The mission follows a previous incident when the Conscience ship, organized by the Freedom Flotilla Foundation, was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles off the coast of Malta on May 2.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition describes itself as a civil society initiative aimed at breaking Israel's blockade on Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.
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