On Saturday night, Israeli forces intercepted and boarded the Handala, an aid ship attempting to reach Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition—a global grassroots movement working to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza since 2010. The coalition claims Israeli soldiers assaulted American labor activist Chris Smalls, co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union, beating and choking him during the raid.
The Handala carried food, baby formula, diapers, and medicine, aiming to breach Israel’s blockade as Gaza faces what UN experts describe as a “worst-case famine scenario.”
In a Tuesday Instagram statement, the coalition reported: “Upon arrival in Israeli custody, US human rights defender Chris Smalls was physically attacked by seven uniformed individuals. They choked and kicked him, leaving visible injuries on his neck and back.”
Smalls, the only Black person aboard, was among 21 detained activists, including civilians, medics, engineers, and journalists. Jewish American actor Jacob Berger, also detained, shared on Instagram that Smalls remained in “great spirits” and expected most detainees to be released by Wednesday.
The interception followed calls from over 30 Israeli public figures for sanctions over Gaza’s starvation crisis. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stressed the need for Gazans to receive “every ounce of food.”
This was not the coalition’s first attempt to deliver aid. Previous missions, including one in June involving Greta Thunberg, were also stopped. In 2010, Israeli forces killed 10 activists aboard the Mavi Marmara.
Palestinian-American attorney Huwaida Arraf, a Handala crew member, criticized global inaction on Democracy Now: “Our governments must enforce international law and protect human rights. We shouldn’t wait for Israel’s permission to send aid—we must challenge and break this blockade.”
Arraf noted that while France, Spain, and Italy offered consular help to detained citizens, the US had not contacted its seven nationals aboard. She condemned nations for “legitimizing Israeli piracy in international waters,” accusing governments of enabling Israel’s violations with impunity.
No updates have been provided on whether Smalls or other detained Americans have since been contacted.
