Israeli military storms “Handala” aid ship; Gaza relief vessel seized

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced late last night that Israeli naval forces attacked the Handala relief ship while it was sailing through international waters en route to the Gaza Strip.

Huwaida Arraf, a civil rights activist aboard the Handala, said last night: “Israeli naval boats are approaching us at high speed and are preparing to attack. We are calling for help from nearby vessels.”

Media sources also reported that Israeli naval forces had moved close to the Handala, warning that they would take control of the vessel by force. Hours later, media outlets confirmed that Israeli troops had seized control of the ship, confiscated all equipment and cameras onboard, and cut off all visual communication. The crew members were detained by Israeli forces.

Following the operation, the Israeli military issued a statement confirming the raid on the Handala.

According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Handala was carrying 21 pro-Palestinian activists representing 12 countries, including members of parliament, lawyers, journalists, and environmental activists.

Handala is the latest ship launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as part of the international campaign to break the blockade on Gaza.

The coalition’s mission is to deliver essential humanitarian supplies and open humanitarian corridors for the people under siege in Gaza. This is the second relief ship attempting to break the blockade that has been intercepted by the Israeli military.

Previously, on June 8, 2025, the Israeli regime prevented the Madeleine aid ship from reaching Gaza. That ship, too, was raided and seized, and its passengers — all human rights activists — were detained and later deported.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in its first response to the seizure of the Handala, condemned the action as maritime piracy.

It held the Israeli regime fully responsible for the safety and security of the activists aboard and emphasized: “Freedom activists have clearly conveyed Gaza’s message — the Zionists are the true losers.”

The Palestinian Information Office in Gaza issued a statement strongly condemning the Israeli military’s attack on the Handala, which was on a humanitarian mission in international waters to break the siege of Gaza.

The office described the assault and seizure of the Handala as a blatant violation of international law and maritime navigation regulations.

The statement stressed: “With these malicious and illegal actions, the occupiers are targeting every humanitarian initiative to save the more than 2.4 million starving Palestinians trapped in Gaza.”

It also declared the Israeli regime responsible for the safety of the activists and called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to take an urgent and firm stance against this aggression and act to ensure international protection for humanitarian convoys.

In its official response, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemned the Israeli seizure of the Handala, calling it “a terrorist crime, an act of piracy, and a blatant assault on the will of humanity.”

Hamas stated: “The Zionist occupying army’s attack on the humanitarian ship Handala in international waters, and its attempt to prevent it from reaching the besieged Gaza Strip, once again proves the regime’s complete disregard for international humanitarian norms and legal standards — even as Gaza is enduring total war, systematic starvation, and a brutal blockade.”

Hamas praised global grassroots efforts to break the blockade, calling them a reflection of humanity’s living conscience, exposing the true nature of the Zionist regime and its enablers.

The statement held the cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, fully responsible for the lives of the activists on board.

The International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza, in response to the Israeli military’s attack on the Handala, announced that the ship is likely to be taken to a port in the occupied territories and its passengers detained.

The committee vowed in its statement: “We will soon dispatch more vessels to break the siege on Gaza and stop the ongoing genocide in the region.”

Meanwhile, Israeli state media reported that the Handala was being transferred to Ashdod Port and that the activists would be detained and deported.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed the seizure, claiming that the ship was attempting an “unauthorized entry” into the Gaza maritime area and was “undermining ongoing humanitarian efforts.”

Handala, like previous humanitarian aid ships to Gaza, also carried the message of global solidarity with the people of Gaza — people who no longer remain silent in the face of famine, bombardment, and the burying of Gaza under rubble. Its mission began just weeks after the illegal Israeli raid on the Madeleine, another Freedom Flotilla vessel intercepted in international waters.