The ship Handala, part of the Freedom Flotilla, was towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod by Israeli forces on Sunday, July 27, just a day after it was intercepted in international waters while carrying humanitarian aid bound for Gaza. The Israeli military had intercepted the vessel en route to the besieged enclave, detaining its crew, which included activists, journalists and two members of the French political party La France Insoumise.
According to the Israeli NGO Adalah, lawyers were dispatched to the port of Ashdod, located in central Israel, in an effort to contact those on board. However, authorities reportedly denied all requests for legal access. Adalah, which provides legal assistance, issued a statement confirming the vessel’s arrival after approximately 12 hours at sea, following what it described as an unlawful interception.
Despite multiple appeals, the organization stated that Israeli authorities refused to allow its lawyers to meet with the detained activists.
The NGO reiterated that those on board the Handala were engaged in a peaceful political mission aimed at challenging what it called Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza. It further condemned the interception and subsequent detentions as clear violations of international law, emphasizing that the operation took place in international waters.
Earlier, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that the country’s navy had seized the vessel to prevent it from entering waters off the coast of Gaza. Officials assured that the ship was being brought safely to Israeli shores and that all passengers were unharmed.
Footage broadcast live the previous day showed Israeli soldiers boarding the Handala at sea. The vessel had set sail as part of an effort to deliver a small amount of humanitarian aid and draw international attention to the blockade imposed on Gaza—a territory that has suffered immense destruction after nearly two years of ongoing conflict.
On board were activists from ten countries, as well as journalists, all aiming to break the maritime siege and deliver support to the war-torn enclave.
