MANILA – Filipino activists called for the release of detained civilians aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) after it was intercepted by the Israeli military.  The FFC brought life-saving humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.  

Madleen, the civilian ship carrying 11 activists and a journalist, was attacked and unlawfully intercepted by the Israeli military at 3:02 a.m. (Central European Time) in international waters, FFC reported. The civilians aboard were Yasemin Acar of Germany; Baptiste Andre, Omar Faiad, Pascal Maurieras, Rima Hassan, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard of France; Thiago Avila of Brazil, ?uayb Ordu of Turkey; Greta Thunberg of Sweden, Sergio Toribio of Spain; and Marco Van Rennes of The Netherlands. 

In its solidarity statement, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) agreed with Thunberg in stressing, “Humanitarian aid is not a crime. The volunteers aboard the Freedom Flotilla are doing what world leaders have failed to do—standing up for human rights and justice. The blockade must end. Free Palestine.”

The ship carried cargo like infant formula milk, food, and medical supplies, all confiscated by the Israeli military. Sailing toward Gaza was a form of resistance to break the siege and provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said Huwaida Arraf, human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer. 

Arraf said that the “seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”

Last year, the ICJ has ordered Israel to take action to prevent genocide in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians under Article 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Despite the ruling, Israel has continued to block significant amounts of aid.

The Philippine chapter of international human rights organization Amnesty International said that the crew must be released immediately and unconditionally, and must also be protected from torture and other ill-treatment since they are unarmed civilians performing humanitarian mission.

“As the occupying power Israel has an international obligation to ensure civilians in Gaza have sufficient and safe access to food, medicine, and other supplies indispensable to their survival,” Amnesty International-Philippines said.

The group added that instead of doing their obligation, Israel, as part of their “calculated effort,” has consistently and deliberately impeded the provision of impartial humanitarian assistance for civilians in desperate need. 

The sailing of Madleen protested Israel’s aid blockade of the Palestinian enclave. The United Nations (UN) reported that over 3,000 trucks of aid are stuck outside Gaza. Daily food intake in Gaza has also dropped below “survival” level in the latest data simulation of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

A month before the sailing of Madleen. Israeli drones sank the previous vessel of FFC named “Conscience” which carried humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people. Four civilian volunteers were injured. 

“The world’s governments remained silent when Conscience was bombed. Now Israel is testing that silence again,” said Tan Safi, another Freedom Flotilla organizer. “Every hour without consequences emboldens Israel to escalate its attacks on civilians, aid workers, and the very foundations of international law.”

The Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association (PPAA) also condemned the interception of Madleen and the detention of the international activists. The association said in a statement that the blatant genocide of Palestinian people and the continuing occupation will set a precedent for more wars. “The domination of US-backed Zionist Israel sets the stage for a wider and more violent imperialist wars of aggression in West Asia.”

The United States (US) and Israel have also been controlling the aid system through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. However, a series of attacks were reported at the aid centers, with more than 130 people killed and 700 wounded by Israeli troops.

Gaza’s government media office dubbed the US-backed distribution sites as “human slaughterhouses.” In addition to this, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the distribution plan does not accord with the basic principles of humanitarian aid: impartiality, neutrality, and independence [from the warring parties].

Supporting this, multi-sectoral formation Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said, “The recent US-backed Gaza aid system is a humanitarian camouflage and a tactic of genocide that turned aid distribution sites into slaughterhouses.” Bayan added that solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla and the people of Gaza is part of the Filipino struggle for national sovereignty and the right to self-determination.

Madleen emerged as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinians, according to Amnesty International Philippines. However, the necessity for such a mission is “an indictment of the international community’s failure to put an end to Israel’s inhumane blockade.”

The groups called for governments to fulfill their obligations under international law and stop the war crimes of Israel. They called for an end to the siege of Gaza, immediate release of abducted volunteers, immediate delivery of humanitarian aid directly to Palestinians — independent of the control of the occupying power — and full accountability for the military assaults of civilian vessels Madleen and Conscience. (AMU, DAA)