The Gaza Freedom Flotilla has reported that Israeli forces attacked and seized several of its vessels bound for Gaza, detaining passengers including Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam.
According to Al Jazeera, the first assault targeted the vessel Conscience, which was carrying 93 journalists, doctors, and human rights activists. Israeli forces later intercepted three smaller boats, before ultimately detaining all nine ships in the flotilla.
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the operation in a post on X, stating that the vessels and passengers were being escorted to an Israeli port. It said all passengers were safe and would be deported promptly.
The flotilla’s tracker showed that Alam, who is also the managing director of Drik, was aboard the Conscience. In a video message posted to Facebook around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Alam declared: “I am Shahidul Alam, a photographer and writer from Bangladesh. If you are seeing this video, we have been intercepted at sea and I have been kidnapped by the occupation forces of Israel.”
He accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza with the backing of the United States and other Western powers and urged his colleagues and supporters to continue the struggle for Palestinian freedom.
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