Israeli occupation forces once again assaulted a Freedom Flotilla vessel and abducted its civilian crew on the night of July 26, 2025. Armed Israeli soldiers boarded the Handala just 40 nautical miles (approximately 75 kilometers) off the coast of Gaza, as it attempted to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver limited quantities of food, baby formula, and medical supplies.
“The unarmed boat was carrying life-saving supplies when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers abducted, and its cargo seized,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition stated. “All cargo was non-military, civilian, and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel’s illegal siege.”
Read more: Freedom Flotilla to sail again with new mission
Throughout the Handala’s voyage, especially as it approached Gaza, the crew reported sightings of Israeli drones and ships. At one point, they contacted Egyptian maritime authorities, expressing safety concerns. Despite the risk, all 21 crew members chose to continue toward Palestinian waters, urging their governments and international bodies to guarantee safe passage under international law.
However, based on prior incidents, the crew anticipated an Israeli assault. In 2025 alone, Israeli forces attacked three Freedom Flotilla vessels. Before the Handala, occupation forces had been implicated in a drone attack on the Conscience and abducted the crew of the Madleen in June. Expecting a similar fate, the Handala’s crew announced they would begin a hunger strike if detained, stating that accepting food from the same entity starving thousands of children in Gaza would be morally unacceptable.
Read more: Israeli forces assault Freedom Flotilla’s “Madleen,” abduct crew
Before the assault, Handala volunteers recorded messages to their government representatives, calling for intervention to ensure their release and to halt the genocide in Gaza. Robert Martin and Tania Safi, both Australian citizens, appealed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “We call on our government to stop sending weapon components to Israel that are used in their genocidal rampage in Gaza, Palestine and the wider region – we demand you stop denying this truth, too,” Martin and Safi wrote. “We demand our government stop protecting Israel from any accountability or consequence.”
Following the assault, the Adalah Legal Center reported that some Handala crew members were already en route to deportation. Others, those holding dual Israeli-US citizenship, were released after interrogation. Twelve crew members are scheduled to appear in court on Monday, July 28, where they will contest Israel’s claims.
“Israel is handling the custody of the volunteers as though they had entered the country illegally, even though they were forcibly taken from international waters and brought into Israel against their will,” Adalah stated. “The flotilla never entered Israeli territorial waters, and nor was it intended to do so; it was headed towards the territorial waters of the State of Palestine, as recognized under international law.”
Europe stays silent, others speak out
Despite the clear violation of international law, most European Ministries of Foreign Affairs remained silent as of Monday morning. The only exception was the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which provided basic updates on the status of its nationals but failed to acknowledge the illegality of Israel’s actions or express any concern about it.
In the absence of a meaningful response from directly involved governments, others raised their voice. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei described the attack as a “clear example of maritime piracy and a gross violation of international law.” He contextualized Israel’s actions against the flotilla within its ongoing genocide and deliberate starvation campaign in Gaza.
Similar condemnations came from the Tunisian General Union of Labor (UGTT), reflecting the fact that several trade union leaders were on board the Handala. “As the union condemns this new crime, it recalls the greater crime that continues to be committed daily against the Palestinian people: the crime of systemic genocide and starvation used by the usurping entity as a tool of war to break the will of the Palestinians and strike the resistance, amid a suspicious Arab and international silence, in flagrant violation of all international and humanitarian laws,” UGTT wrote.
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