Israel’s attack on Gaza-bound aid ship Handala clear example of 'piracy': Iran

The boat called Handala, led by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was roughly 100km west of Gaza late Saturday night when Zionist regime's forces “violently intercepted” it and boarded the vessel, the coalition said in a statement.

The regime's forces also detained all 21 international crew members, including journalists and lawmakers.

According to the legal rights center Adalah, Zionist regime's naval vessels dragged the aid ship to the occupied port of Ashdod.

In a statement on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the Zionist regime’s move was a “clear example of piracy and a gross violation of international law.”

It was aimed at advancing the Israeli regime’s policy of genocide in occupied Palestine, continuing the oppressive and inhumane blockade, and intensifying the policy of imposing famine and hunger on the defenseless people in the besieged Strip, he added.

He emphasized that Zionist regime’s attack on the Handala and, before that, the Madleen aid ship were a blatant violation of the principles and rules of international law, urging all governments and international organizations to condemn them.

The Zionist regime’s forces, early in June, attacked Madleen, a humanitarian aid vessel that was attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

The Iranian spokesperson stated that the blockade imposed on Gaza must be lifted immediately, and that adequate humanitarian aid should reach the Palestinian people exclusively through a recognized international mechanism.

The Handala, a refurbished fishing boat, had been en route from Malmö, Sweden, to break Israel’s deadly blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid—including baby formula, nappies, food, and medicine—to Palestinian residents.