Israeli forces divert Madleen to Ashdod, barring it from reaching its intended destination amid growing outcry over aid restrictions
The aid ship Madleen, loaded with vital humanitarian supplies for Gaza, reached Israel's port of Ashdod on Monday evening under military escort, an Anadolu correspondent reported.
Israeli forces seized the vessel early Monday, diverting it from its mission to deliver critical aid to the besieged enclave.
The vessel, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, arrived in Israel escorted by Israeli warships, the correspondent said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the activists were “undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,” with the local Maariv daily reporting that they were expected to be held in a detention center before deportation.
The Israeli human rights organization and legal center Adalah reported that all activists aboard the vessel remain detained at Ashdod port pending transfer to Israeli immigration authorities for deportation.
In a statement, Adalah said if the activists refuse immediate departure, they will be moved to a detention center in Ramla in central Israel.
Although authorities indicated that those who agree to deportation might be allowed to leave Israel the same night via Tel Aviv airport, the group said conditions — such as signing documents or waiving rights — remain unclear.
The center added that it would demand access to the activists for communication and to hear their testimonies before any transfer or deportation takes place.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said early Tuesday that the activists had arrived at an airport for deportation.
The ministry said in a statement that the volunteers from the Madleen arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries.
Some of them are expected to leave within the next few hours, it said
"Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation.
"Consuls from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport," it added.
The aid ship had a 12-strong crew on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.
Other activists aboard the Madleen included Yasemin Acar from Germany, Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi and Reva Viard from France, Thiago Avila from Brazil, Suayb Ordu from Türkiye, Sergio Toribio from Spain, Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher, also from France.
The ship was intercepted early Monday while sailing in international waters. Israeli naval boats surrounded it, and live footage showed Israeli soldiers ordering the passengers to raise their hands.
Drones flew overhead and sprayed a white, unidentified substance onto the deck, according to the livestream footage.
The seizure came after Israel had issued warnings that any attempt to breach its naval blockade would be considered “unlawful.”
On May 2, a separate ship also organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition -- Conscience -- was attacked by an Israeli drone as it approached Gaza. The strike punctured the hull and ignited a fire in its bow.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
