ISTANBUL

Several hundred people gathered in central Berlin on Monday to protest the Israeli army's interception of a humanitarian aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip.

The rally, titled "Stop the attack on the Madleen," took place at Alexanderplatz and drew what police described as a "mid-three-digit number" of participants, according to German radio RBB24 info.

According to authorities, the protest remained largely peaceful, with no significant incidents reported.

The demonstration came in response to the Israeli navy’s interception of the Madleen, a ship carrying aid and activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The vessel was stopped late Sunday night shortly before reaching its intended destination off the Gaza coast.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the move was in line with a naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007, which prohibits unauthorized vessels from entering the coastal territory.

On June 1, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition sent the 18-meter Madleen from Catania, Italy, to break the blockade in Gaza and deliver aid.

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

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.