Palestinian rights organisation calls Madleen crew to be released
Al-Haq has strongly condemned Israel’s “unlawful interception” of the Madleen in international waters, calling for the “immediate release of all those detained”.
“Israel has no legal authority to restrict access to Palestine, since such is within the exclusive right of the Palestinian people,” the Ramallah-based rights organisation said in a statement.
“Israel’s manufacture of famine as a tool of genocide, and its blockade of Gaza, is designed to isolate, fragment and destroy the Palestinian people.”
Australian senator says Israeli attack on Madleen ‘clear breach of international law’
David Shoebridge from the Australian Greens says, “The Israeli military attacking a boat full of unarmed activists bringing food and medicine to Gaza is a clear breach of international law.”
The attack “should be strongly condemned and have consequences”, Shoebridge added, before calling on the Australian government to “impose immediate sanctions on the Israeli arms industry and the Netanyahu Government”.
The Israeli military attacking a boat full of unarmed activists bringing food and medicine to Gaza is a clear breach of International Law that should be strongly condemned and have consequences #Madleen pic.twitter.com/mHlahKrAz4
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) June 9, 2025
‘Madleen was sailing peacefully and lawfully in international waters’
Al Jazeera spoke to Freedom Flotilla organiser Huwaida Arraf shortly after she and the rest of the ship’s support crew lost contact with the Madleen.
“All those on board have been abducted. They have been taken against their will while they were sailing peacefully and lawfully in international waters,” said Arraf. “They were in international waters, sailing towards Palestinian territorial waters, not getting near Israeli waters,” she added.
“It needs to be made very clear that Israel has absolutely no jurisdiction, no lawful authority, to take over this vessel.”
Hamas calls Madleen seizure ‘state terrorism’
The group has issued a statement slamming Israel’s takeover of the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship, whose seizure it said amounts to “organised state terrorism”. “We salute the brave activists from various nationalities who stood firm in the face of threats and reaffirmed that Gaza is not alone,” it said.
Hamas said the Madleen convoy and other Gaza-bound humanitarian convoys from Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan are “living testimony to the failure” of Israel’s “propaganda machine”. It also urged for the activists’ release and for the United Nations to condemn the seizure.
“The seizure of the Madleen will not silence the voice of the free, nor will it stop the growing global solidarity with Gaza,” Hamas said.
