ISTANBUL

The Hind Rajab Foundation said Monday that it lodged a formal war crimes complaint with the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit in the UK, accusing the Israeli Navy of serious violations of international law during its recent interception of a Gaza-bound humanitarian ship flying the British flag.

The complaint focuses on Israel's Shayetet 13 naval unit and Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, commander-in-chief of the Israeli Navy.

It relates to the Israeli raid that took place on June 8-9 on the Madleen, a civilian vessel carrying aid to Gaza that the foundation says was over 60 nautical miles off the coast in international waters when it was boarded by Israeli forces.

According to the Belgium-based non-profit organization, the Madleen was “legally considered an extension of UK territory,” making the raid a potential breach of both British and international law.

“The Hind Rajab Foundation strongly calls on the United Kingdom to fulfil its legal responsibilities and immediately intervene to secure the unconditional release of the abducted activists who remain unlawfully detained in Israel,” the organization said in a statement. “Their freedom is a matter of urgent humanitarian and legal concern.”

The foundation said it filed the complaint under several UK and international legal frameworks, including the Geneva Conventions Act 1957, the International Criminal Court Act 2001 and Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, which prohibits torture.

It accuses Israeli forces “of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, war crimes, and violations of UK jurisdiction,” the organization said.

Key allegations include “the unlawful use of chemical irritants from drones, forcible detention and incommunicado confinement of 12 unarmed civilians, denial of legal and consular access, confiscation of humanitarian aid and personal belongings, and degrading and inhuman treatment.”

The Israeli government has not yet responded publicly to the complaint.

The British-flagged ship reached Israel’s port of Ashdod on Monday evening under military escort after it was intercepted earlier by the Israeli Navy while sailing towards Gaza to challenge the Israel blockade.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the activists “are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,” with the local daily Maariv reporting they are expected to be held at a detention center before deportation.

Israeli naval boats had surrounded the ship, and live footage showed Israeli soldiers ordering the passengers to raise their hands. Drones flew overhead and sprayed a white, unidentified substance onto the deck.

The seizure came after Israel had issued warnings that any attempt to breach its naval blockade would be considered “unlawful.”

Part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the aid ship had a 12-strong crew on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.

Other activists aboard the Madleen included 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.

On May 2, a ship also organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition – Conscience --was attacked by an Israeli drone as it approached Gaza. The strike punctured the hull and ignited a fire in its bow.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.