The Madleen crew is being detained by Israeli forces after their ship was stopped about 100 nautical miles from Gaza.

Silence from governments ‘beyond words’

Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, says the “absolute silence” from the Madleen crew members’ governments reflects Israeli impunity.

“If any other state had sent its military forces to seize a small civilian boat carrying 12 unarmed civilians to deliver food, baby formula and crutches to a besieged population, it would immediately be recognised for the act of state piracy that it indisputably is,” Rabbani told Al Jazeera.

“But for Israel, there’s always an exception.”