Israeli forces intercepted Handara, a Gaza-bound ship carrying aid and activists on Saturday night, within 70 nautical miles of their destination.
“The occupation has disabled our cameras and all communication has been lost,” a spokesman for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) told CNN in a message.
A live stream on YouTube showed armed personnel on board the ship, but all the activists on the deck were wearing life jackets, surrendering and holding their hands in the air. One of the helmet reps appears to be operating the camera streaming on the deck and turning around. The stream ended immediately afterwards.
In a statement from X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that “the Israeli Navy has used Handara’s original name to “stop the Israeli Navy from entering illegally into the maritime zone on the coast of Gaza.”
“The ship is safely heading towards the Israeli coast. All passengers are safe,” the statement continued. “Illegal attempts to violate the lockdown are dangerous, illegal and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.
Named after a famous Palestinian cartoon character, the handler is part of the FFC, who has attempted multiple times to break Israeli blockade in Gaza through the sea, where he has attempted to reach Palestinians with assistance.
It is equipped with two members of French and European parliament and American trade union member Christian Small, according to the FFC.
“The unarmed boat carried life-saving supplies when boarded the Israeli army. Passengers were accused and cargo was seized,” the FFC said in a statement issued shortly after the livestream ended.
The statement added that supplies include “formuld milk, diapers, food and medicine.”
Hours before the ship was intercepted, the FFC issued a statement that the handlers were piloting towards Egypt to avoid boarding.
Handala’s journey to Gaza is just over a month after another ship from the Fleet of Freedom, the Madreen, was intercepted in a similar way on his way to the enclave.
The ship, which was also crewed by a group that includes climate activist Greta Samberg, was carrying assistance. Israeli authorities tow the ships to Ashdod, and then all were deported from Israel.
On Saturday evening, the crew on Handala deck were seen wearing reflective life jackets after telling Australian volunteer Tania Safi in a voice memo to CNN that the ship was “surrounded by Israeli Heron drones.”
CNN is unable to verify the claim and has contacted Israeli authorities for comment.
“Everyone here is prepared for almost every possible scenario that Israel can pass us through,” Safi said Saturday afternoon. “If they intercept us, it would be a violation of international maritime law.”
The FFC says on their website that 19 Handara activists and two journalists came from many countries, including Australia, the UK and Italy. Norwegian Foreign Ministry told CNN it knows that Norwegian citizens are on board the ship.
According to the FFC, the handler is a US citizen on the four ships. CNN contacted the US State Department for comment.
On Thursday, a State Department spokesman called the activist aid ship “selfie fleet” and dismissed the effort as a stunt. “The latest ‘Selfie Fleet’ should end the stunts,” the spokesman said. “The real story is the serious people who risked their lives to get food and help the people of Gaza without being in the hands of terrorists.”
A spokesperson added that the State Department “is a higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens,” and that details were introduced to the Israeli government.
