Israel to deport Madleen ship activists after confiscating their aid for Gaza

The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that 12 crew members of the Madleen ship, which was intercepted and blocked from delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, are currently being held at the detention facility of Ben Gurion International Airport. They will be deported if they agree to sign the necessary documents.

In a statement issued late last night, the Foreign Ministry said the activists are expected to be deported within the next few hours.

“The activists will sign deportation documents,” the statement said, adding that if they refuse to comply with the process, they will be "brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation.”

According to the ministry, the detained activists have met with representatives from their home countries.

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The legal center Adalah, which is representing the 11 passengers and a journalist aboard the Madleen, confirmed they will appear in court before the deportations take place.

Adalah’s representatives had made multiple requests to meet the detained crew and were eventually granted access.

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which organised the Madleen’s voyage, condemned the detention as unlawful and demanded that Israel immediately release the activists along with the seized aid cargo.

The Madleen was carrying humanitarian supplies including flour, baby formula, sanitary products, and other essential items for Gaza, where Israel’s blockade has created famine-like conditions. The aid was confiscated by the Israeli military, which claimed it would be redirected through official channels under Israeli control.

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Israeli army forces intercepted and seized the vessel late at night on Sunday in international waters, cutting off all communications. The crew and passengers were forcibly taken to an Israeli port.

The ship, part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, was carrying essential humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has maintained a ruthless blockade since March 2. The blockade has been widely condemned for using hunger as a weapon amidst an ongoing genocide in the besieged enclave.

Launched from Sicily on June 1, the Madleen was just 160 kilometers from Gaza on late Sunday when four Israeli naval vessels surrounded it.