MEP Catarina Martins of the Left Bloc (BE) stated on Monday that activists aboard a humanitarian ship headed for the Gaza Strip, who were detained by Israel, “are an example.”
“The activists who were illegally detained by Israel today set an example. Governments worldwide should follow it instead of opting for complicit silence with genocide. Free Palestine,” the former coordinator of the BE wrote in a post on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
In a video accompanying the post, the politician reinforced this notion, criticizing governments that “don’t even stand up to defend these activists.”
Os ativistas que hoje foram detidos ilegalmente por Israel são um exemplo. Os governos de todo o mundo deviam segui-lo, em vez de optarem pelo silêncio cúmplice com o genocídio.
Palestina Livre! pic.twitter.com/K9d902gwIX
— Catarina Martins (@catarina_mart) June 9, 2025
The sailboat, carrying humanitarian aid and 12 pro-Palestinian activists heading to the Gaza Strip, arrived at a port in Israel today after being seized by Israeli forces as part of the long-standing blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory.
The vessel docked in Israel at 8:45 PM local time, 4:45 PM in Lisbon. Activists reported that the food they carried onboard was “confiscated.” Tel Aviv has stated that processes are underway to ensure activists return to their countries of origin.
Escorted by two Israeli Navy ships, the sailboat reached the port of Ashdod at nightfall, around 8:45 PM local time (6:45 PM Lisbon time), according to the French news agency, AFP.
Earlier, the organization Freedom Flotilla, which organized the voyage, had urged the international community to apply pressure on Israel regarding its approach to the humanitarian vessel Madleen and the detention of its 12-person crew, which included MEP Rima Hassan and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Since the ship’s seizure by Israeli authorities until its arrival at the port of Ashdod, the pro-Palestinian group issued a statement saying: “It has been 15 hours since we saw or heard from our friends and colleagues. We were not permitted any contact.”
The Madleen was transporting six French volunteers, one Dutch, one Turkish, one Swedish, one Brazilian, one German, and one Spanish activist. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition stated that the activists had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces” as they attempted to deliver aid to the territory.
“The vessel was illegally boarded, its unarmed civilian crew was taken hostage, and its vital cargo—including baby milk, food, and medical supplies—was confiscated,” the organization stated.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the vessel was seized in international waters, about 200 kilometers from Gaza, and described the voyage as a public relations stunt, writing on the social network X: “The ‘celebrity’ selfie yacht is safely on its way to the coast of Israel.”
The Israeli government further noted that the activists would return to their countries of origin, and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels.
The Madleen aimed to break the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since March 2, before Israeli forces broke the ceasefire with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Since then, Israel has intensified its operations in the territory, where the entire population, according to the UN, is “at risk of starvation.”
The conflict in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, resulting in around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and 251 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched a war in the Gaza Strip hours later to “eradicate” Hamas, which has resulted in nearly 55,000 deaths, according to local authorities’ figures deemed credible by the UN, the destruction of almost all the territory’s infrastructure, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
