The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a pro-Palestine advocacy group, filed a war crimes complaint with the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit on Monday, following an Israeli naval raid on the British-flagged humanitarian vessel Madleen in international waters on Sunday night.
The complaint targets Israel’s Shayetet 13 naval unit and its commander, Vice Admiral David Saar Salama.
HRF calls for the immediate release of 12 detained activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham, and French MEP Rima Hassan, who remain in custody in Israel.
The Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was carrying medical supplies, food, baby formula, and other aid to Gaza when it was intercepted over 60 nautical miles from shore.
The Madleen, sailing from Sicily, aimed to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing war and blockade, which began in October 2023 and has resulted in approximately 54,900 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children. The blockade has severely restricted aid to the region.
Israeli forces boarded the vessel, detained its passengers, and confiscated the aid. HRF alleges violations including the use of chemical irritants, forcible detention, denial of legal and consular access, and degrading treatment. A similar incident occurred in May 2024, when Israeli drones attacked another aid vessel carrying Thunberg off Malta’s coast.
Israel: Some of Madleen activists ‘expected to leave’
On Tuesday morning, Israel’s foreign ministry stated that some activists were at Ben Gurion Airport for deportation, with others facing judicial proceedings if they refuse to leave voluntarily. Consuls from the activists’ home countries have met them at the airport.
“The passengers of the ‘Selfie Yacht’ arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries,” the Israeli foreign ministry said on social media.
“Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation. Consuls from the passengers’ home countries met them at the airport,” it added.
Legal basis for complaint
The Hind Rajab Foundation on Monday filed a criminal complaint in the UK against elite unit Shayetet 13, under the command of Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, over Israel’s illegal raid on the British-flagged aid ship Madleen and the abduction of 12 people.
Filed under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957, the International Criminal Court Act 2001, and Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, the complaint alleges war crimes and violations of UK jurisdiction, including:
Use of chemical irritants from drones;
Detention and incommunicado confinement of civilians;
Confiscation of aid and personal belongings;
Denial of legal and consular access.
HRF compares the raid to the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, citing a UN Human Rights Council report (A/HRC/15/21) that deemed Israel’s actions unlawful. The Madleen raid is alleged to violate:
Article 23 of the Fourth Geneva Convention;
Rules 55 and 56 of ICRC Customary International Humanitarian Law;
Article 92 of UNCLOS on flag state jurisdiction;
International Court of Justice orders (January, March, May 2024) mandating unimpeded aid access to Gaza.
UK jurisdiction
As a UK-flagged vessel, the Madleen falls under British criminal jurisdiction, even in international waters. The UK is obligated to investigate alleged war crimes and breaches of the Geneva Conventions committed aboard.
HRF’s call for action
The Foundation urges UK authorities to:
Investigate Israeli naval and political officials involved;
Collect testimony from Madleen passengers;
Refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service for legal action;
Monitor suspects entering UK territory;
Collaborate with Interpol, the ICC, and UN Special Rapporteurs.
