Freedom Flotilla Faces Israeli Interference en Route to Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The aid ship Handala has resumed its voyage toward Gaza following a suspicious two-hour communication blackout, during which drones — believed to be Israeli — were observed near the vessel.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported early Friday that communication was restored with the Handala, which is now less than 349 nautical miles (646 kilometers) from Gaza.
“For about two hours, our Freedom Flotilla boat’s communications were interrupted and drones were observed near the boat, raising serious concerns of a potential attack,” the group said on Telegram.
The coalition urged public vigilance and continued pressure on governments and media to help end the “illegal siege on Gaza.”
Activist Tan Safi appeared in a video accompanying the statement, saying the crew had been unaware of a global Starlink outage.
“Some experts are investigating it and said this was unusual,” Safi stated. “It’s not the first time Elon has worked with Israel, but this was most likely a global disruption.”
Drones reportedly remained in the vicinity after communications resumed, prompting the crew to stay on alert.
Starlink later confirmed a temporary global connectivity failure that was mostly resolved within hours.
This incident follows similar acts of aggression, including a drone attack on the MV Conscience near Malta in May and the Israeli military’s interception of the Madlene in June, during which 12 activists were detained.
Israel’s ongoing brutal war on Gaza has killed over 59,500 people — the majority women and children — and has triggered legal action at both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
