Activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, board the Madleen boat, ahead of setting sail for Gaza, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025.In the early hours of Monday morning, Israeli drones began circling a ship that was sailing in international waters under a British flag. The drones sprayed the ship with a white paint-like substance, before commandos took control of the ship. Those on board were forced to throw their phones overboard before being taken into Israeli custody.There is a word for this: piracy. And surely in any other circumstances, the British government would be condemning the actions of the Israeli military and moving mountains to ensure the safety of those on board.But this isn’t other circumstances – this ship was the Madleen, part of the freedom flotilla aiming to get vital aid into Gaza after the Israeli government’s blockade. It was carrying supplies badly needed by those in Gaza, including medical supplies, flour, rice, baby formula, nappies, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, crutches and children’s prosthetics. On board were 12