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Rabat — In what human rights groups are calling a blatant violation of international law, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Saturday night intercepted the humanitarian aid vessel Handala as it attempted to reach the genocide-torn Gaza.
The interception, which occurred in international waters, has reignited international outrage over Israel’s systematic refusal to lift its starvation campaign.
The Handala, the latest vessel by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was carrying essential supplies including food, medicine, infant formula, and water purification systems.
Onboard were 21 activists and journalists from 14 countries, including Morocco, South Africa, Malaysia, France, and the United States. Their goal was to break the months-long Israeli naval blockade that has strangled Gaza’s access to life-saving humanitarian aid.
The IOF forcibly boarded the vessel, confiscated its cargo, and detained the passengers before transferring them to Israel. Communications with the ship were reportedly cut during the operation.
According to organizers, the passengers were subjected to aggressive tactics and are now facing possible legal action in Israeli courts.
Moroccan journalists respond
The National Syndicate of Moroccan Journalists has strongly condemned the raid on the Handala aid ship and the arbitrary arrest of its crew, including Moroccan journalist Mohamed El Bakkali.
El Bakkali released a pre-recorded message before the boat was illegally intercepted by the IOF on international waters.
In his message, El Bakkali called on the Moroccan government and human rights organizations to secure his and his shipmates’ release, stating: “If you are seeing this video, the Handala ship has been intercepted by Israeli Forces…and most likely, we have been abducted and are being illegally detained.”
In response, the union expressed deep concern over what it described as a “blatant assault” on a peaceful, humanitarian, and journalistic mission headed for Gaza, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained.
The group urged international organizations working in the fields of press freedom, human rights, and humanitarian action to intervene and exert pressure on the IOF to ensure the safety of the Handala’s crew and respect their right to carry out their mission.
The statement denounced the operation as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and journalistic protections in conflict zones. It also framed the attack as further evidence of Israel’s disregard for universal human rights principles and a serious threat to the safety of journalists.
Reaffirming its full solidarity with El Bakkali and his fellow journalists and activists, the union called for sustained national and international mobilization to break the media and humanitarian blockade imposed on Gaza and to hold Israel accountable for its repeated violations against journalists and civilians.
Starvation as a weapon of genocide
The interception comes amid escalating warnings from humanitarian organizations and UN officials that mass starvation is ravaging Gaza’s population.
At least six Palestinians died of hunger-related causes in the last 24 hours alone, bringing the total confirmed number of starvation deaths to 133 since the Israeli-induced genocidal starvation began.
“The blockade, the targeting of aid convoys, and now the violent interception of ships like the Handala all show one thing: Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war,” said a spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
“This is no longer just a humanitarian crisis—it is a deliberate policy that meets the criteria of genocide.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently examining South Africa’s case against Israel, which argues that IOF’s rentless attacks and the systematic denial of humanitarian access in Gaza amount to genocide under international law.
A symbol of resistance and desperation
The Handala’s journey was not just about aid — it was a message. Named after the iconic Palestinian cartoon character symbolizing resistance, the vessel sought to break not just a physical blockade but also the silence and inaction of the international community.
In a final message before the raid, a crew member said: “We carry food, not weapons. If we are stopped, let the world know that hunger is being used to kill an entire people.”
As of Sunday, those words appear tragically prophetic. The Handala may have been seized, but its mission has once again exposed the brutal cost of a siege that many see sliding into the final phase of genocide before the eyes of a largely passive world.
