Organizations and groups worldwide strongly condemned Zionist Israel for blocking the Madleen, a ship carrying food, and for arresting civilians on board. They were delivering food to Palestinians suffering from famine as a result of Israel’s genocide and war.

Israel stopped and boarded the Madleen at exactly 4:02 a.m. on June 9 (9:02 a.m. Philippine time) in international waters. An hour earlier, Israeli drones surrounded the vessel and sprayed it with a white substance resembling chemical paint. At that point, the ship was still 200 kilometers from Gaza. That night, the ship was brought to the port of Ashdod in Israel.

On board the Madleen were 12 individuals, including well-known environmental activist Greta Thunberg, European Parliament member Rima Hassan, Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad, and others. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) launched the civilian mission on June 1 from Catania, Sicily. Its aim was to challenge Israel’s food and aid blockade to Gaza, which has been enforced since March.

After being accosted, the 12 people on board the Madleen were held. In the following days, four of the 12 activists were deported to their respective countries, while the remaining eight will face court proceedings for refusing to sign deportation papers.

In the Philippines, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and the Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association (PPFA) expressed support for the Madleen’s civilian mission.

Bayan described the actions of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against the civilian mission as a violation of international law and an attack on human dignity. “The use of force against unarmed civilians engaged in a humanitarian mission is an act of aggression,” the group stated.

According to the group, delivering aid to Gaza is not a crime. “[The members of the civilian missiom] are courageous individuals driven by a deep-seated commitment to human rights and a moral imperative to act in the face of injustice,” Bayan declared.

The group called for the immediate and unconditional release of all activists participating in the mission. The group also supported an investigation into Israel’s attack on and seizure of the Madleen. Bayan urged other groups in the Philippines and abroad to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the delegation and for the genocide against Palestinians.

At Bayan’s protest at the US Embassy in Manila on June 12, they condemned imperialist US for supporting Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. They expressed their support for the Madleen and the Palestinian struggle for national liberation.

Israel has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid and support to Gaza before by intercepting ships and vessels. Since 2010, Israel has seized or sunk all attempts to deliver aid and bypass the blockade.

In May, the vessel Conscience attempted to dock in Gaza. Two drones attacked the ship, set it on fire and punctured its hull. This Israeli attack injured four people.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) last reported that one in every five Palestinians in Gaza is experiencing extreme hunger as a result of Israel’s food blockade. Acute food shortage has affected 1.95 million people, or 83% of Gaza’s total population.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 55,000 Palestinians in its bombings, attacks, and campaign of genocide in Gaza.