Iran descried the Israeli move as an act of piracy.
“The assault on this flotilla — since it happened in international waters — is considered a form of piracy under international law,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press briefing in Tehran.
An Israeli solider passes food to those onboard the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht Madleen after Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, in this screengrab from video released on June 9, 2025. (AFP)
For its part, Turkey condemned Israel’s seizure of the aid vessel which it said was carrying Turkish citizens as well as activist Greta Thunberg among its 12-strong crew, calling the move a “clear violation of international law.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the intervention threatened maritime security and “once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state.”
The Madleen left Italy on June 1 to raise awareness over food shortages in Gaza, which the United Nations has described as the “hungriest place on Earth,” with the entire population at risk of famine.
In a statement, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Israeli troops “forcibly intercepted” the vessel in international waters at 0102 GMT as it was approaching the Gaza Strip.
Hamas condemned the move, saying in a statement the boat was being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
The boat’s interception came just over 15 years after Israeli commandos staged a botched raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship carrying activists to reach Gaza, killing 10 people — all of them Turkish nationals.
The assault sparked a years-long diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel, which only restored full diplomatic ties in 2022 — in a reconciliation which has since been shattered by Israel’s war on Gaza.
The war was triggered by Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Israel has hit back with force in an ongoing military assault that Gaza’s health ministry says has killed at least 54,880 people, mostly civilians.
