The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Israeli Navy successfully intercepted the Handala boat, which attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The ministry emphasized that “all passengers are safe.”

In its official statement, the Foreign Ministry referred to the vessel by its original name, saying, “the forces stopped the vessel Navarn from illegally entering the maritime zone of the coast of Gaza.”

“The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe,” the statement continued.

The ministry underscored the seriousness of the breach attempt, noting, “Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.”

While the IDF has not yet released a formal statement on the incident, live footage from earlier in the day showed Israeli Navy troops boarding the Handala at sea.

The Handala is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the same group behind a previous attempt involving the Madleen vessel. According to the coalition’s website, the boat was carrying 19 activists along with two Al Jazeera journalists.

The vessel is currently being towed to Ashdod Port, whereupon the “activists” will be deported from Israel.