Hamas condemned Israel’s takeover of the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship, saying the seizure amounts to “organised state terrorism”, Al Jazeera reports.

“We salute the brave activists from various nationalities who stood firm in the face of threats and reaffirmed that Gaza is not alone,” the group said in a statement.

Hamas said the Madleen convoy and other Gaza-bound humanitarian convoys from Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan are “living testimony to the failure” of Israel’s “propaganda machine”.

It also urged for the activists’ release and called on the United Nations to condemn the seizure. “The seizure of Madleen will not silence the voice of the free, nor will it stop the growing global solidarity with Gaza,” Hamas said.