The humanitarian boat carrying Rima Hassan to Gaza diverted by the Israeli army

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which chartered the Madleen humanitarian boat to Gaza, carrying LFI MEP Rima Hassan and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg , said Monday that it had been " captured " by the Israeli army. " Communication has been lost with the Madleen. The Israeli army has capsized the boat ," the organization initially reported on Telegram, claiming that the crew had been " kidnapped by Israeli forces ."

Having left Italy on June 1 to " break the Israeli blockade ," the sailboat was heading for Gaza after a stopover in Egypt, despite Israel's orders to its army to prevent it from reaching the Palestinian territory. According to the latest position at 22:00 GMT, it was 31 nautical miles (57 km) from Gaza. AFP was unable to contact any of the people on board; communication on Rima Hassan's X account has been handled by her team since losing contact with her.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Monday that the ship had been diverted and would dock in Israel, from where its passengers would have to " return to their countries ." The sailboat " is safely heading to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their countries ," the ministry said in a statement shortly after the NGO's statements.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon calls on "States, the European Union, the United Nations and the entire international community" to "condemn this illegal arrest", to demand "the immediate and unconditional release of all crew members" and to "put pressure on the Israeli authorities to allow humanitarian aid to pass unhindered into Gaza, in accordance with international law".

"This interception, carried out outside Israeli territorial waters, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, including maritime law and humanitarian law," he said in a statement. "The arrest of the crew members and the seizure of aid intended for a population in immediate humanitarian distress are unacceptable."

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he had ordered the Israeli military to "prevent it (...) from reaching Gaza . " "I have instructed the IDF to prevent the Madleen ship from reaching Gaza. To Greta the anti-Semite and her companions, mouthpieces of the propaganda of (Palestinian Islamist movement) Hamas, I say clearly: turn around because you will not reach Gaza," the minister said in a statement.

"We will remain mobilized until the last minute - until Israel cuts off the internet and networks," replied Franco-Palestinian elected official Rima Hassan, who was in Egyptian waters at the time. "We are not afraid" of the Israelis, said German activist Yaesmin Acar, who was among the twelve passengers, the others being six French, a Swede, a Brazilian, a Spaniard, a Turk and a Dutchman. "The message they are sending us (...) does not make us back down," she added.