Israel seized the aid boat heading to Gaza, but the crew member still considers the trip a victory

The shirt of Dr. Babetst André was still harsh when he got out of the level of expatriates at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to a wave of cameras, microphones and questions from journalists.

The French citizen was one of the 11 crew members of The Madeen, and part of the FLOTILLA coalition, and between the three – including Swedish activist Greta Thonberg – Who signed the deportation papers after seizing the boat by the Israeli navy on Monday before it reached the Gaza Strip. (Fourth person, journalist, also signed the papers.)

The coalition aims to break the maritime blockade in Israeli Gaza and provide a symbolic amount of aid. Most people of 2.1 million people were displaced due to war, and Malnutrition is widespreadThe United Nations says. Israel rejected the aid boat k Power trick.

During a 20-minute press conference on Wednesday, Andre became clearly emotional because he pointed to the courage of some of his colleagues in an Israeli prison that refused to sign the deportation papers-which he said he felt he had to sign for personal and professional reasons.

Andre said that the document he signed contains allegations that he entered Israel illegally – a wrong charge, because the boat was in international waters.

By the time when Madeleine was a charity ship I resigned and seized By the Israeli navy in the Mediterranean, Andrei said, the crew felt a feeling of disappointment. “We were able to make 90 percent of our way, but we were unable to establish the beaches of Gaza,” CBC News told CBC News.

“The feeling on board the plane at the beginning was Farah after several weeks of preparation,” he said. “A lot of joy, but a lot of stress as well.”

“Fear was very present”

Andre, who held the position of doctor on the plane, and the crew started their flight on June 1, sailing from southern Italy with a boat load of humanitarian aid. Madeleine was scheduled to draw in Gaza, where the crew planned to distribute aid to the Palestinians, but his journey ended 100 nautical miles (185 km) from the Gaza coast.

Andre said that it was around three in the morning local time on Monday, when the crew was surrounded by Israeli drones before dozens of soldiers arrived and the boat resigned.

Each member of a staff had specific duties, and Andre said he was to make sure that everyone was wearing their lives. To collect mobile phones and throw them into water; And to collect the kitchen knives that were used to make meals, put them in a box and throw them into the sea.

He was also responsible for maintaining seizure bags that contain crew passports, water bottles, medicines and some food.

Andre said that Madeleine’s controls were seized by the Israelis, and the crew was brought to Ashdod, a city in Israel on the Mediterranean coast, “against his will.”

“The feeling on that moment was of fear, although we prepared with daily training to be able to manage all scenarios in the best possible way. But though, fear was very present.”

Most crew members have been deported

Although he did not reach their destination, Andrei said he still considered the campaign a “success”, as the crew drew attention to the ordeal of the Palestinians in Gaza.

“This task was framing as a solidarity movement – we played our role in it,” he said.

The Israeli authorities said that Israel began a military campaign in Gaza after it was attacked by militants led by Hamas, who killed about 1,200 people and took about 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. Since then, nearly 55,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the health authorities in Gaza, and many of the densely populated strip.

The Israeli government said on Thursday that six other MADLEEN members were released and transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for flights to their countries of origin.

The lawyers said with Adala, a legal center managed by a Palestinian in Israel, that the crew members were subjected to “ill -treatment, punitive measures, and aggressive treatment, and volunteers were detained for a period of time in solitary confinement.”

The Israeli authorities refused to comment on their treatment. The government said it was dealing legally detainees and verifying any allegations of ill -treatment.

Among the six were released by Rima Hassan, the French member of the European Parliament Who prevented Israel from entering Israel and the Palestinian territories, noting its support for the boycott in the country.

The last two activists are expected to be deported on Friday, according to Adalah.