The Madleen, a civilian boat attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, was seized by Israeli forces while carrying 12 international activists. The vessel was intercepted about 100 nautical miles from Ashdod after facing communication interference and a chemical attack from a quadcopter. The activists were detained, subjected to humiliation, and their possessions were taken. Yasemin Acar, a German volunteer, reported being deprived of sleep for 30 to 40 hours while enduring degrading treatment from Israeli authorities. This incident occurred amidst a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid had not been delivered for nearly 100 days.
"You could tell that they hated us.... they know we don't have any weapons, but they just wanted to humiliate us," Acar said.
At the time of its voyage, fuel had not entered Gaza for almost 100 days, and dozens of Palestinians were being shot and killed at so-called 'aid' sites backed by Israel and the United States.
Three Israeli navy ships and four speedboats approached the Madleen before roughly 20 Israeli soldiers boarded the ship.
Acar told The Nation that she was kept awake for roughly 30 to 40 hours. If Israeli authorities in Ashdod noticed them dozing off, they would be yelled at to wake up.
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