Israel intercepts aid ship heading to Gaza.

Israeli forces intercepted the Handala, a Gaza-bound ship carrying aid and activists, within 70 nautical miles of its intended destination on Saturday night.

A spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) informed CNN that their cameras were disabled, and communication was lost during the interception.

Video footage showed armed personnel boarding the ship, with activists on deck wearing life jackets and surrendering by raising their hands. The stream ended after a personnel member manipulated the camera.

Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed that the Israeli navy stopped the vessel Navarn, previously known as Handala, from entering Gaza's maritime zone illegally. The ministry stated that the vessel is heading safely towards Israel with all passengers unharmed.

The Handala, associated with the FFC, has made attempts to breach Israel’s blockade on Gaza by sea to deliver aid. Among the passengers were two members of the French and European parliaments and a US trade unionist named Christian Small.

The FFC reported that the ship was carrying essential supplies like baby formula, diapers, food, and medicine when it was intercepted by Israeli forces.

The interception of the Handala comes shortly after the interception of another ship, the Madleen, from the Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying aid and crewed by individuals including climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Before the interception, crew members on the Handala were seen wearing life jackets as the ship was reportedly being monitored by Israeli drones. The FFC had stated earlier that the ship was heading towards Egypt to avoid interception.

The FFC mentioned that the 19 activists and two journalists on the Handala came from various countries, including the US, Australia, the UK, Italy, and Norway. The US State Department referred to the ship as a "selfie flotilla" and emphasized the safety of US citizens involved.