HRF files complaint against Israeli unit Shayetet 13 over Madleen raid
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The UK-based NGO has filed a war crimes complaint over the Israeli raid on the Freedom Flotilla vessel, Madleen.
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Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza, Italy, June 1, 2025. (AP)
A UK-based humanitarian organization, The Hind Rajab Foundation, has formally filed a war crimes complaint with the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit (Counter Terrorism Command, SO15) against the Israeli occupation over its raid on the Madleen, a British-flagged ship carrying aid as part of the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza.
The group submitted the case under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957, which permits UK courts to prosecute war crimes regardless of where they occurred or the nationality of the perpetrators.
The complaint specifically targets "Israel's" notorious naval commando unit, Shayetet 13, accusing it of breaching international humanitarian law during its seizure of the vessel in international waters. According to the foundation, the commandos used excessive force and endangered civilian lives aboard the Madleen, which was transporting medical and food supplies to Gaza.
The raid led to the detention of several international volunteers and the seizure of the vessel, despite its clearly marked humanitarian mission. The Hind Rajab Foundation asserts that no justification under international law permits such an Israeli assault on a civilian aid convoy operating under peaceful, non-military conditions.
According to the complaint, Shayetet 13's actions may constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention by "Israel", including the unlawful targeting of humanitarian infrastructure and personnel. The foundation argues that the raid represents part of a broader pattern of attacks on non-military vessels attempting to break the blockade on Gaza.
Legal implications under UK and international law
Legal experts cited in the foundation’s complaint stress that the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 places a duty on UK courts to investigate credible allegations of war crimes, even when committed by foreign nationals outside the UK. The foundation is calling on British prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into the conduct of Israeli forces involved in the military operation against the flotilla.
The Madleen was one of several vessels intercepted or turned back by Israeli naval forces in recent months.
The Hind Rajab Foundation is named in memory of a young Palestinian girl who was killed during an Israeli raid in the Gaza Strip, an incident that drew international attention after a video capturing 64 gunshots and the girl’s desperate cries went viral.
The foundation said in a statement that the legal action aims not only to hold individuals accountable but also to affirm the right of humanitarian organizations to operate without the threat of military assault.
Freedom Flotilla’s mission, seizure
According to the Associated Press (AP), in early June 2025, Freedom Flotilla's Madleen, organized by the humanitarian coalition, set sail from Catania, Sicily, carrying aid supplies aimed at breaking "Israel’s" siege of Gaza.
🚨🚨The #HindRajabFoundation has filed a criminal complaint in the UK
— The Hind Rajab Foundation (@HindRFoundation) June 9, 2025
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.
For more info read ⬇️… pic.twitter.com/ELxqpaU7BP
The cargo included baby formula, flour, rice, medical kits, diapers, menstrual supplies, water desalination units, and children's prosthetics, though Israeli officials later claimed it amounted to less than a single truckload.
By June 9, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Madleen approximately 120 miles off Gaza in international waters, towed the vessel with the activists on board to Isdud, and detained them pending deportation.
The coalition described the operation as kidnappings and condemned it as a breach of international law.
