Berlin, June 9, 2025
LDSF strongly condemns the raid carried out by Israeli occupation forces on the Freedom Flotilla ship “Madeline”, which was carrying symbolic aid and medical supplies. The ship’s mission aimed to draw attention to the deliberate starvation of Palestinians and to break the inhumane blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for years — a blockade that has intensified during the past two years of war on Gaza. The Foundation also denounces the arrest of the ship’s crew and passengers, including activists and journalists.
In the early hours of Sunday, June 9, Israeli forces intercepted the “Madeline” as it approached Israeli waters. A commando unit illegally boarded the vessel, detained all crew members and passengers, and confiscated the humanitarian aid intended for the besieged population of Gaza.
Media reports indicate that the detainees have been transferred to Givon Prison in the city of Ramla, where they are being held in solitary confinement without any external communication or information regarding their fate — including journalists Omar Fayyad and Yannis Mohammadi. In the absence of an official statement disclosing the place of detention or the nature of the charges, the Foundation considers the activists and journalists to be victims of enforced disappearance.
The Foundation denounces these unlawful practices as blatant violations of international law, defiance of the rulings of the International Court of Justice, and a disregard for repeated international calls demanding unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The Foundation calls on all countries around the world to pressure Israel and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees aboard the “Madeline”. It further demands the urgent disclosure of the whereabouts and conditions of detention of journalists Omar Fayyad and Yannis Mohammadi, as well as all other activists, and to ensure their right to communicate with their families and legal representatives. The Foundation also calls for an end to the inhumane blockade on Gaza, the free entry of humanitarian aid, and an immediate ceasefire.
