News - Middle East: The Israeli regime has sparked global outcry after its forces violently seized the Gaza-bound aid ship Handala in international waters and unlawfully towed it to the occupied port of Ashdod.

The boat, led by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was roughly 100km west of Gaza late Saturday night when Israeli forces “violently intercepted” it and boarded the vessel, the coalition said in a statement.

The regime's forces also detained all 21 international crew members, including journalists and lawmakers.

According to the legal rights center Adalah, Israeli naval vessels dragged the aid ship to the occupied port of Ashdod.

"After 12 hours at sea, following the unlawful interception of the Handala, Israeli authorities confirmed the vessel's arrival at Ashdod port," said the group.

The group said its lawyers demanded to speak to the crew members, but Israeli authorities have refused to allow the lawyers access to the detained activists to provide legal consultation.

The Handala’s crew had said in a social media post that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli military captured the boat.

Among the crew were two French parliamentarians, Gabrielle Cathala and Emma Fourreau, as well as Al Jazeera reporters.

Moments before Israeli forces raided the boat, American activist and lawyer Huwaida Arraf urged them to stand down. Speaking over the radio, she denounced the Gaza blockade as a war crime and said that the Tel Aviv regime has been deliberately starving civilians.

She reiterated that the Handala carried only humanitarian supplies, including baby formula.

Two Australians, including journalist Tania “Tan” Safi and human rights activist Robert Martin, were also on board the ship when it was captured.

In a pre-recorded video shared on social media by a coalition of pro-Palestinian bodies, including Free Gaza Australia, Safi is seen saying she has “been abducted and taken against my will.”

They are also seen urging the Australian government to sanction Israel and work toward the release of the crew members.

“If you’re seeing this video, the Handala and its crew have been intercepted at sea,” Safi says in the recording.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) also urged the Australian government to demand the release of those on Handala and to take stronger action over Israel’s “unjustified, unprovoked and illegal actions.”

In a post on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the naval forces had stopped the vessel from what it claimed was “illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza.”

“Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts,” it said.

Ann Wright, a member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s steering committee, said Israel had “no legal authority to detain international civilians aboard.”

“This is not a matter of internal Israeli jurisdiction. These are foreign nationals operating under international law in international waters. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end,” Wright said.

The Handala, a refurbished fishing boat, had been en route from Malmö, Sweden, to break Israel’s deadly blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid—including baby formula, nappies, food, and medicine—to Palestinian residents.

The last boat sent by the Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also captured by Israeli forces in international waters on June 9 and towed to the port of Ashdod.

Press TV