Five passengers aboard the "Handala," which included French parliament member, LFI's Gabrielle Cathala, were deported from Israel on Monday, while the others were taken to legal proceedings
In a dramatic turn of events, 21 unarmed civilians, including French elected officials, were detained by Israeli forces after their ship, the Handala, was intercepted and boarded in international waters on July 26, 2025. The ship, carrying humanitarian aid such as baby formula, medical supplies, and food, was en route to Gaza to break the humanitarian blockade.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France insoumise, strongly condemned the seizure of the Handala and praised the courage of the activists on board, including French elected officials Gabrielle Cathala and Emma Fourreau. Mélenchon also denounced the silence of the French government since the seizure.
The other arrested activists, who refused the agreement, are mostly held in the prison of Givon and were presented to a court to examine their continued detention this Monday afternoon. Among the detained activists are four French people: European MP Emma Fourreau, Chloé Fiona Ludden, Ange Sahuquet, and nurse Justine Kempf.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition and other groups have condemned the interception as a grave violation of international law and an act of aggression lacking legal authority. Gaza officials have described it as "naval piracy." The Hind Rajab Foundation in the UK has even filed a formal criminal complaint, urging investigation into potential war crimes and grave breaches of international law by Israeli forces during the raid.
Allegations of mistreatment and violations against the detainees and the ship include the cutting of communications on the ship immediately after boarding, and the offer to the arrested activists to sign a "voluntary expulsion" document acknowledging illegal entry into Israeli territory. Some passengers have reported "serious physical violence" committed by Israeli forces before the court.
Several volunteers have reported that Israeli authorities exerted strong pressure on them, forcing them to give up their right to meet with a lawyer. The boat was carrying 800 kilos of humanitarian aid, which is now in the hands of Israeli authorities.
Before the boat's departure, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, had qualified the initiative as "irresponsible." In fifteen years, only three of the 37 boats sent to Gaza by the Freedom Flotilla have been recovered.
Three activists, including French MP Gabrielle Cathala and Al-Jazeera journalists Mohamed El Bakkali and Waad Al Musa, should leave the country today. The fate of the remaining passengers, however, remains uncertain. The French spokesperson for the Flotilla reserves the right to file a complaint for the theft of the boat and cargo.
The detainees have announced plans to go on hunger strike if arrested, to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and solidarity with Palestinians suffering the blockade. As the international community continues to watch this unfold, the focus remains on the swift and just resolution of this situation.
- The social-media platforms have been flooded with discussions about the detention of activists on board the Handala, with many expressing concern and support for the French elected officials and other detainees.
- The incident involving the interception of the Handala has ignited a heated political debate, with accusations of war-and-conflicts, human rights violations, and international law breaches leveled against Israeli forces.
- As the situation for the detained French activists and other passengers continues to unfold, general-news outlets and crime-and-justice reporters are closely monitoring the court proceedings and hunger strike announcements, while entertainment and other non-political topics have taken a backseat.
