Overview

• On July 26, Israeli naval forces boarded and took control of the Handala roughly 194 km from Gaza, detaining its 19 activists.
• The Handala had departed Syracuse on July 20 carrying medical supplies, food and equipment for children to challenge Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza.
• Among those detained are two French deputies from La France Insoumise, Gabrielle Cathala and Emma Fourreau, who joined the voyage to deliver humanitarian aid.
• Flotilla organizers livestreamed the operation, denouncing the seizure as illegal in international waters and equating it to a kidnapping.
• Activists on board have threatened a hunger strike as diplomatic protests grow and UN agencies warn of a looming famine in Gaza.