...CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - JULY 29, 2025: Moroccan journalist Mohammed Bakkali, one of the activists aboard the Gaza-bound aid ship Handala seized by Israel, received a warm welcome upon his return to his country on Tuesday, July 29. Bakkali arrived at Mohammed V Airport in the western Moroccan city of Casablanca after being deported by Israel. He was greeted at the airport by his family, loved ones, numerous journalists, and activists holding flowers. The Handala ship departed from the port of Syracuse, Italy, on July 13. However, it docked at the port of Gallipoli from July 15 to July 20 to complete final preparations and address some technical needs. The ship set sail for Gaza on July 20 to deliver aid, as deaths due to starvation have been reported there as a result of the Israeli blockade. It was reported that 21 activists from 10 different countries were on board. According to a statement on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s WhatsApp channel, Israeli forces intercepted the ship in international waters late on July 26 and dismantled the vessel’s security cameras. A YouTube livestream set up to monitor the Handala’s journey showed Israeli soldiers boarding the deck and the passengers raising their hands. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the ship, raided in international waters, was being towed toward the country’s shores along with the detained activists. Fourteen of the Handala activists were ordered to remain in detention until they agreed to be deported, and they were transferred to Givon Prison in the city of Ramla. In recent months, Israel has intercepted multiple Gaza-bound aid ships in international waters. In June, Israeli forces seized the Madleen, detaining 12 international activists, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan. A month earlier, the MV Conscience was attacked by drones near Malta. Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of aid convoys and ignoring international calls to reopen them. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 147 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 88 children. Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.