Pakistan, June 9 -- The Israeli military has seized the British-flagged aid ship Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), as it attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade. The vessel was towed to an Israeli port on Monday, and its passengers-including prominent activists-are set to be deported, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry.

The Madleen, which departed from Sicily on June 1, was carrying rice, baby formula, and other essentials. Among its 12 passengers were Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament. The Israeli navy intercepted the ship as it neared Gaza, claiming it had violated a legally enforced blockade meant...