ANKARA

France on Monday called for the swift return of its citizens detained by Israel after intercepting a Gaza-bound aid ship in international waters.

In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said it is in contact with Israeli authorities to facilitate French nationals' swift return to the country.

The British-flagged ship carrying aid, including food and baby formula, was intercepted and boarded by Israeli forces at night before reaching the Gaza shore. It was later towed to Ashdod Port in Israel.

In a separate statement, Elysee Palace said President Emmanuel Macron asked Israel to free six French nationals detained from Madleen aid ship that was en route to the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The statement also recalled that French citizens were warned not to join the initiative, aimed at breaking a crippling blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza, where nearly 55,000 people have been killed in a brutal onslaught since October 2023.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition sent the 18-meter Madleen from Catania, Sicily, Italy, to break the blockade in Gaza and deliver aid.

A total of 12 people are on board, including 11 activists and one journalist.

Among the people on board are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan; Yasemin Acar from Germany; Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard from France; Thiago Avila from Brazil; Suayb Ordu from Türkiye; Sergio Toribio from Spain; Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands; and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher, also from France.

The ship is carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics, according to its organizers.