The European Parliament is in direct contact with Israeli authorities to guarantee the safety of French lawmaker Rima Hassan. Hassan was aboard the Gaza-bound humanitarian vessel "Madleen," which was intercepted and seized by Israeli naval forces in international waters on Sunday.
European Parliament spokesperson Delphine Colard affirmed that the "protection and well-being of MEPs, anywhere in the world, will always be the utmost priority for the European Parliament." She highlighted that Parliament President Roberta Metsola has been in continuous communication with Israeli officials and leaders of the European Parliament's political groups to ensure the security of Ms. Hassan.
"Members of the European Parliament must be kept safe and treated with respect as elected representatives of the European people, wherever they are," the parliament stressed. Colard added that the institution remains in "round-the-clock contact with all parties until the situation is safely resolved."
The "Madleen," a vessel participating in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was redirected to the Israeli port of Ashdod following its seizure.
The ship carried a crew of twelve, including several high-profile activists and public figures. Among them were Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.
Other activists reported to be on board the "Madleen" include Yasemin Acar from Germany; Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard from France; Thiago Avila from Brazil; Suayb Ordu from Türkiye; Sergio Toribio from Spain; Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands; and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher, also from France.
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