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Early connected Monday morning, the Madleen ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was intercepted by the Israeli subject astir 185 km (100 nautical miles) from Gaza, successful planetary waters.
Among the 12 detained unit members are clime advocator Greta Thunberg, Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, Al Jazeera writer Omar Faiad, and different activists.
Israeli media reported that the Madleen and its unit were being taken to the larboard metropolis of Ashdod, astir 30km (19 miles) northbound of Gaza, wherever National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has instructed situation authorities to clasp the activists successful solitary confinement, isolated from 1 different and the extracurricular world.
The ship, which departed from Sicily connected June 1, was carrying humanitarian assistance for starving Palestinians who person been nether a strict Israeli blockade since March 2. The blockade was lone partially eased past period amid increasing planetary pressure.
(Al Jazeera)Flotillas trying to interruption Israel’s siege of Gaza
Several Freedom Flotilla vessels person attempted to interruption the blockade of Gaza.
In 2008, 2 boats from the Free Gaza Movement successfully reached Gaza, marking the archetypal interruption of Israel’s naval blockade. The movement, founded successful 2006 by activists during Israel’s warfare connected Lebanon, went connected to motorboat 31 boats betwixt 2008 and 2016, 5 of which reached Gaza contempt dense Israeli restrictions.
Since 2010, each flotillas attempting to interruption the Gaza blockade person been intercepted oregon attacked by Israel successful planetary waters.
The representation beneath shows the approximate locations wherever salient flotillas were stopped, immoderate encountering deadly Israeli forces.
2010 – Gaza Freedom Flotilla
In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara successful planetary waters. The battle killed 10 activists and injured dozens, starring to planetary outrage. The vessel was carrying humanitarian assistance and much than 600 passengers.
The Mavi Marmara was owned and tally by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, oregon IHH, a Turkish NGO. The incidental severely strained Israel-Turkiye relations and drew wide condemnation for violating planetary law.
In 2013, Israel apologised for “operational mistakes” successful the raid. A compensation woody is inactive being negotiated betwixt the 2 countries. Israeli soldiers and officials who took portion successful the onslaught are being tried successful absentia successful Turkiye for warfare crimes.
2011 – Freedom Flotilla II
Freedom Flotilla II was launched successful 2011 arsenic a follow-up to the 2010 mission. Organised by a conjugation of planetary activists and NGOs, it aimed to interruption Israel’s blockade connected Gaza and present humanitarian aid. The flotilla progressive much than 300 participants from astir the satellite and was acceptable to sail connected 10 vessels.
However, aggravated diplomatic unit from Israel, coupled with reported sabotage of ships and restrictions by big countries similar Greece, prevented astir boats from departing.
Only the Dignite-Al Karama came adjacent to reaching Gaza. The 17-passenger French vas initially declared an Egyptian larboard arsenic its destination upon leaving Greek waters, but activists aboriginal announced they were heading for Gaza. Israeli naval commandos intercepted the vessel and towed it to Ashdod. The activists were detained for questioning and aboriginal deported.
2015 – Freedom Flotilla III
Freedom Flotilla III was launched successful 2015 arsenic the 3rd large effort by planetary activists to interruption Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Organised by the FFC, the ngo included respective vessels, with the Swedish-flagged Marianne of Gothenburg starring the effort.
On June 29, 2015, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Marianne astir 100 nautical miles disconnected the Gaza coast, successful planetary waters. Commandos boarded the vessel and diverted it to Ashdod. The activists connected committee were detained and aboriginal deported, with immoderate unit members released aft six days.
Activists connected committee Thales of Miletus, a vessel from the 3rd Gaza Freedom Flotilla, sailing successful the Mediterranean backmost to Greece aft departing from the Israeli larboard of Ashdod, wherever the flotilla was forced to onshore by Israeli forces [File: Getty Images]2018 – Just Future for Palestine
The Just Future for Palestine Flotilla – besides known arsenic the 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla – was portion of a continued effort by the FFC to situation Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The run included 2 main vessels, Al Awda (The Return) and Freedom, on with 2 enactment yachts, Mairead and Falestine.
On July 29 and August 3, 2018, some Al Awda and Freedom were intercepted and seized by the Israeli navy successful planetary waters. All connected committee were arrested, with immoderate reporting being Tasered, assaulted, oregon beaten by Israeli forces.
Most participants were held successful detention earlier being deported to their respective countries.
2025 – Break the Siege ‘Conscience’
While preparing to sail to Gaza connected May 2, the Conscience was struck doubly by equipped drones, conscionable 14 nautical miles (25km) disconnected the seashore of Malta. The onslaught triggered a occurrence and caused a important breach successful the hull, forcing the 30 Turkish and Azeri activists connected committee into a hopeless effort to bail retired h2o and support the vessel afloat.
Four radical sustained insignificant injuries successful the assault, including burns and lacerations.
Gaza facing starvation
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 1 successful 5 Palestinians successful Gaza is facing starvation due to the fact that of Israel’s three-month-long full blockade of the Strip, eased partially past month, allowing immoderate nutrient aid.
Some 1.95 cardinal people, oregon 93 percent of the enclave’s population, are facing acute nutrient shortages.
The IPC says Israel’s continued blockade “would apt effect successful further wide displacement wrong and crossed governorates”, arsenic items indispensable for people’s endurance volition beryllium depleted.
Despite an Israel-led and United States-backed assistance organisation initiative, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which started to present assistance into Gaza past month, its caller organisation hub disintegrated into chaos wrong hours of opening connected May 27 and has been marred by atrocities pursuing deadly shootings astatine assistance organisation centres.
Eighteen years of Israeli blockade
The Gaza Strip has a colonisation of astir 2.3 cardinal surviving successful 1 of the astir densely populated areas successful the world.
Since 2007, Israel has maintained strict power implicit Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters and restricted the question of goods and radical successful and retired of Gaza.
Even earlier the war, Gaza had nary functional airports aft Israel bombed and demolished the Yasser Arafat planetary airdrome successful 2001, lone 3 years aft it opened.
Gaza is again the country of wide demolition and quality suffering, and remains the spot often described arsenic “the world’s largest open-air prison”.
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