Israeli Navy forces intercepted the "Handala" activist boat attempting to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, as confirmed by multiple sources. The boat, which had been turned away by Egypt, was sailing towards Gaza and made a distress call before being boarded by Israeli forces. Livestream footage showed the crew with their hands raised as the boarding occurred. The "Handala" is part of the Freedom Flotilla, which is sailing towards Gaza. The Israeli Navy's action comes amid ongoing discussions about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with French President Emmanuel Macron highlighting the unacceptable humanitarian situation and the continued obstruction of aid. Macron stated that his country, along with the United Kingdom, participates in the presidency of the working group concerned with the reconstruction of Gaza and the West Bank. President Isaac Herzog of Israel welcomed "major steps" announced by Israeli leadership and the military to "strengthen and upgrade the humanitarian response in Gaza," specifically mentioning "humanitarian pauses to protect civilian lives and allow the safe delivery of aid." He added that Israel is "doing its utmost to improve the flow of vital supplies" and called on UN agencies to ensure aid reaches those in need without delay, stating it is "unacceptable that aid delivered to Gaza remains undistributed or is hijacked by Hamas." President Macron also announced that he will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, stating that for months he has been working to involve other countries in this initiative with a message that "Peace is possible." He outlined key objectives including a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, urgent humanitarian assistance, the disruption of Hamas, securing and reconstructing Gaza, and establishing a demilitarized Palestinian state that fully recognizes Israel. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected ministers Ben Gvir and Zamir from decisions regarding "dramatic assistance." A senior official close to the prime minister reportedly told Ben Gvir that he was not invited to a meeting "because we did not want to start Saturday."
