Israel intercepts Gaza aid boat as strikes kill dozens and famine looms

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.
 

At least 60 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since this morning, according to Al Jazeera English- citing medical sources.

Among the dead are three medics killed in Gaza City, and 13 civilians who were reportedly seeking aid when they were struck near an Israeli- and US-backed aid distribution site in southern Gaza.

A Tunisian humanitarian convoy with more than 1,000 participants is en route to the Egyptian border, aiming to deliver aid to Palestinians besieged in Gaza.

Organised by a coalition of civil society groups, trade unions and pro-Palestine activists, the convoy is transporting medical supplies, food and other essential goods. Its goal is to push through the Rafah crossing, which has remained largely closed to international aid for months.

Convoy organisers say their mission is to challenge the ongoing Israeli blockade and highlight the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where tens of thousands face starvation and the health system is on the brink of collapse.

The initiative follows Israel’s interception of the Madleen aid vessel, which was seized by Israeli naval forces while attempting to breach the blockade by sea.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is playing a role in ongoing negotiations over Israel’s war on Gaza.

“Gaza right now is in the midst of a massive negotiation between us and Hamas and Israel, and Iran actually is involved,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

He did not clarify Iran’s specific role in the talks, but added: “We’ll see what’s going to happen with Gaza. We want to get the hostages back. It’s all I can tell you.”

Israel killed three medical services staff and a journalist during strikes on Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, Palestinian media including Shehab news agency said on Monday.

The three rescuers were killed while working to save wounded people and recover dead bodies in the neighborhood, Shehab said.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It said earlier that its forces continued to operate against what it deemed "terrorist organizations" throughout the Gaza strip.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee has issued an “urgent” evacuation warning for anyone present in three Yemeni ports, Hodeidah, Al-Salif and Ras Isa, which Israel alleges are being used by the “terrorist Houthi regime”.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has condemned Israel’s interception of the Madleen aid vessel in international waters.

Speaking to news publication Al Jazeera, the independent MP said: "The Madleen sailed to Gaza with one intention: to save the lives of Palestinians being starved to death by Israel."

The Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and sailing under a UK flag, was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza when it was intercepted by Israeli commandos. Under international maritime law, civilian vessels in international waters are protected from interference.

“Its interception is just as illegal as the siege it was trying to break. The flotilla was not just carrying life-saving aid. It was carrying solidarity, hope and our shared humanity,” Corbyn said.

He praised those on board, adding: “The brave individuals on board have inspired us to carry on campaigning for an end to all arms sales [to Israel], for sanctions and for an end to the occupation of Palestine.”

The UK government has called on Israel to manage its detention of the Madleen aid vessel “safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law”.

During a Downing Street briefing, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson told reporters: “We have made clear our position in relation to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The PM has called it appalling and intolerable.”

The spokesperson added that the UK is advocating for greater humanitarian access to the besieged territory.

“We have made it very clear we must get more aid into Gaza. The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza is critical.”

Freedom Flotilla organisers say they have had no contact with the 12 international activists detained by Israeli forces nearly 19 hours ago, news publication Al Jazeera English.

"We have lawyers on standby who are going to demand they have access to them tonight – as soon as possible," said Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and a Freedom Flotilla organiser.

The Madleen vessel, which was carrying humanitarian aid for the besieged Gaza Strip and sailing under a United Kingdom flag, was forcibly seized by Israeli commandos early this morning.

“These citizens were sailing peacefully under international law, in international waters, and Israel went and forcibly abducted them,” Arraf told Al Jazeera English.

"This was done, as Israel puts it, to ‘maintain a maritime closure of Gaza’ – which it has no authority to do."

Arraf also criticised the British government for failing to issue a strong condemnation of the seizure, highlighting that the Madleen is UK-flagged.

She called on states to hold Israel accountable for what she described as an unlawful act in violation of maritime and humanitarian law. The 12 activists remain in Israeli custody and are expected to be deported.

French President Emmanuel Macron on said Monday the humanitarian blockade of Gaza was a "scandal" and "shameful", calling for the reopening of humanitarian supply routes.

Macron also called for a truce in the besieged Palestinian territory as tens of thousands of people staged rallies across France after Israel stopped a boat, carrying a dozen activists, including Greta Thunberg, from reaching Gaza.

The rallies in Paris and at least five other cities were called by left wing parties. Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, called the seizure of the Gaza boat by the Israeli military "piracy".

Macron meanwhile urged the immediate liberation of French nationals among the 12 activists on the vessel.

Macron had "requested that the six French nationals be allowed to return to France as soon as possible," his office said.

France was "vigilant" and "stands by all its nationals when they are in danger," he added. The French government had also called on Israel to ensure the "protection" of the activists. Macron also called the humanitarian blockade of Gaza "a scandal" and a "disgrace".

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran was a tough negotiator as talks continued for a nuclear deal, and said he discussed Iran among other topics with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

"We're doing a lot of work on Iran right now," Trump said at an economic event at the White House. "It's tough. ... They're great negotiators."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will visit Jordan on Tuesday on an official visit at the invitation of Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement on Monday.

The visit will be an opportunity to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest and current regional developments, the statement said, adding that Aoun will be accompanied by an official delegation.

Aoun has travelled to most Arab countries in the Middle East since becoming head of state six months ago as he seeks to garner support for Lebanon, which has faced its worst ever financial and economic crisis since 2019 and reels under last year's war with Israel.

Israel continues to conduct attacks on parts of the country, primarily in the south.

Families of Israeli captives held in Gaza said the political interests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have obstructed the release of their relatives, and that it is time to put an end to this.

The families said in a statement that those who truly wanted the captives freed should not tie their fate to politics and debates regarding early general elections.

Hamas on Monday called for an independent international investigation into Israeli war crimes in Gaza, and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to be brought to justice.

In a statement, Hamas also called on a US-backed aid group in Gaza to halt its operations, and for the UN and its agencies to be only the ones responsible for delivering aid in the territory.

The group also called for urgent action by the Security Council and the international community to stop the "genocide" and lift Israel's siege on Palestinians in Gaza.

An Israeli strike targeted on Monday a car along the Zefta-Nmairiyeh road in south Lebanon's Nabatiyeh district.

It wasn't immediately clear if anybody was killed and who the target was.

مراسل الجديد: استهداف سيارة في بلدة النميرية - النبطية pic.twitter.com/VE7hZYmUPs

— Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) June 9, 2025

An earlier drone strike was reported in the southern coastal area of Ras Naqoura.

Israel has conducted strikes on south Lebanon nearly everyday since the 27 November ceasefire with Hezbollah.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday that the information Iran claimed it seized regarding Israel’s nuclear programme "seems to refer" to the country's Soreq Nuclear Research Center, the first acknowledgment outside of Tehran.

"We have seen some reports in the press. We haven’t had any official communication about this," Grossi told reporters. "In any case, this seems to refer to Soreq, which is a research facility which we inspect by the way. We don’t inspect other strategic parts of the program, but this part of the program we do inspect."

He did not elaborate on where he received his information, though the IAEA maintains a confidential reporting system for nations to report security incidents involving their nuclear programmes.

Israeli left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan called on Monday for an immediate end to the Gaza war and said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government no longer represented most Israelis.

"Today the government of Israel doesn't represent the vast majority of Israelis," said Golan, chairman of the Democrats party and a former deputy army chief, days before a planned parliament vote which the opposition hopes would trigger a general election.

He told journalists in a briefing that after more than 20 months of fighting, Israel "should end the war as soon as possible."

Golan, a former deputy minister in a short-lived administration that replaced Netanyahu in 2021-2022, said that the current government - one of the most right-wing in Israel's history - was a threat to democracy.

Spain has reportedly summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires to the country over Israel’s interception of the Madleen ship, and detention of the activists on board, Spanish media is reporting.

Spain has emerged one of the EU's biggest critics of Israel during its war in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. President Donald Trump planned to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, two White House officials said.

The call comes as Trump has been trying to accelerate aid into Gaza and to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program.

Trump has occasionally expressed frustration with Netanyahu. Last week, he said he had warned Netanyahu not to take actions that could disrupt nuclear talks with Iran.

Hundreds of people, mainly Tunisians, launched on Monday a land convoy bound for Gaza, seeking to "break the siege" on the Palestinian territory, activists said.

Organisers said the nine-bus convoy was not bringing aid into Gaza, but rather aimed at carrying out a "symbolic act" by breaking the blockade on the territory described by the United Nations as "the hungriest place on Earth".

The "Soumoud" convoy, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, includes doctors and aims to arrive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, "by the end of the week", activist Jawaher Channa told AFP.

It is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits, she added.

"We are about a thousand people, and we will have more join us along the way," said Channa, spokeswoman of the Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, the group organising the caravan.

"Egypt has not yet given us permission to cross its borders, but we will see what happens when we get there," she said.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has reportedly instructed prison authorities in Israel to prepare separate cells for the activists from the Madleen ship at Givon Prison in Ramla, where they will be held before being deported, Israel Hayom reported on Monday.

Upon arrival in Ashdod, the activists will be escorted to the prison in vehicles with tinted windows to minimise public attention, media reports added.

The "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" is an arm of the Israeli occupation, not a humanitarian organisation, Gaza's government media office said Monday.

It blamed the US and Israel-backed foundation for causing the deaths of more than 130 people and wounding over 1,000 others within two weeks.

"The so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation continues to promote pre-packaged lies, falsely claiming that the Palestinian resistance threatens its teams and prevents them from distributing aid," the government's media office said in a statement.

"The stark truth is that this very foundation is nothing more than a propaganda front for the Israeli occupation army. It is led by American and Israeli officers and soldiers from outside the Gaza Strip, directly funded by the US, and operates in coordination with the Israeli army," it added.

It stressed that any organisation claiming to be humanitarian while carrying out military plans and managing distribution points within "buffer zones" overseen by Israeli tanks cannot be considered a relief entity. "Instead, it is part of the tools of genocide and a true partner in the crime of genocide against the civilian population."

Gaza's health ministry said that 47 deaths and 388 injuries were admitted to hospitals in the enclave over the past 24 hours, noting that the toll from the Israeli offensive has risen to 54,927 people killed and 126,615 others wounded since October 7, 2023.

France on Monday said it would work to ensure the rapid return home of French citizens aboard a boat carrying aid bound for Gaza that was intercepted by Israeli security forces.

President Emmanuel Macron has requested that the six French nationals aboard the Madleen "be allowed to return to France as soon as possible", a presidential official said, asking not to be named, while Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that Paris would work "to facilitate their swift return to France".

Turkey on Monday condemned Israel's seizure of a Gaza-bound aid vessel which it said was carrying Turkish citizens as well as activist Greta Thunberg among its 12-strong crew, calling the move a "clear violation of international law".

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the intervention threatened maritime security and "once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state."

Syria will be fully reconnected to the SWIFT international payment system "in a matter of weeks" after more than a decade of sanctions, central bank governor Abdelkader Husrieh told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday.

Iran said Monday it will soon present a counter-proposal on a nuclear deal with the United States, after it had described Washington's offer as containing "ambiguities".

"We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through (mediator) Oman once it is finalised. It is a proposal that is reasonable, logical, and balanced, and we strongly recommend that the American side value this opportunity," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press briefing.

Hamas has slammed Israel’s takeover of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, whose seizure it said amounts to "organised state terrorism."

"We salute the brave activists from various nationalities who stood firm in the face of threats and reaffirmed that Gaza is not alone," the Palestinian group said in a statement.

Hamas said the Madleen convoy and other Gaza-bound humanitarian convoys from Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan are "living testimony to the failure" of Israel’s "propaganda machine."

It also urged for the activists' release and for the United Nations to condemn Israel's move.

"The seizure of the Madleen will not silence the voice of the free, nor will it stop the growing global solidarity with Gaza," Hamas added.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says Israel has failed to provide any evidence for the claims it has made against the agency.

Israel has put massive pressure on UNRWA throughout the Gaza war, accusing some of its members last year of partaking in Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack.

"Over the past 20 months, Israel has made unsubstantiated claims against UNRWA. Israel has neither shared sufficient evidence nor pursued criminal proceedings. The continued absence of evidence and due process raises serious questions about the validity of these accusations and suggests they may be politically motivated and unfounded," UNRWA wrote on X.

Over the past 20 months, Israel has made unsubstantiated claims against UNRWA.

Israel has neither shared sufficient evidence nor pursued criminal proceedings.

The continued absence of evidence and due process raises serious questions about the validity of these accusations and… pic.twitter.com/92qygB27NA

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) June 9, 2025

Iran on Monday condemned Israel's interception of a Gaza-bound aid vessel carrying international activists, describing it as an act of piracy.

"The assault on this flotilla - since it happened in international waters - is considered a form of piracy under international law," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press briefing in Tehran.