Israeli forces intercepted a vessel from the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla on Saturday as it attempted to break the long-standing naval blockade on Gaza.

A livestream by the group showed the ship, Handala, being boarded by Israeli soldiers. On board, 19 activists, including European politicians and two Al Jazeera journalists, sat calmly on the deck with their hands raised, singing the anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao” as the soldiers took control.

The vessel had been navigating international waters, roughly 50 kilometers off Egypt’s coast and 100 kilometers from Gaza, when the interception occurred. Shortly after soldiers boarded, all three live video feeds were cut off.

Freedom Flotilla Coalition declared on social media: “Handala has been intercepted and boarded illegally by Israeli forces whilst in international waters.“

While Israel’s military has yet to confirm the operation, it had previously issued a statement reiterating its commitment to enforce what it calls a “legal maritime security blockade” on Gaza.

The Handala was carrying a symbolic quantity of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a territory that international agencies have warned is on the brink of famine amid widespread shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.

Among the detainees were French parliamentarians Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala. Their party leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed (LFI), denounced the incident, calling it an unlawful act.

“Netanyahu’s thugs boarded Handala. They attack 21 unarmed people in waters where they have no right,” Mélenchon posted on X (formerly Twitter). “A kidnapping in which two French parliamentarians are victims.”

Mélenchon has urged the French government to take urgent diplomatic action.

Before the interception, Freedom Flotilla had announced that those on board would launch a hunger strike if detained.

This isn’t the first such mission. On June 9, the group’s previous boat, Madleen, was also intercepted in international waters and towed to Israel’s Ashdod port. Among those aboard was climate activist Greta Thunberg. Those activists were later expelled from the country.

As the humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza, efforts like the Freedom Flotilla continue to draw global attention to the situation—though often met with swift Israeli enforcement of the blockade.