Greta Thunberg Gaza aid ship : Israel has intercepted an aid ship bound for Gaza that was carrying Greta Thunberg and other notable activists. The individuals on board were detained, and the vessel was redirected to Israel.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the Israeli military boarded the ship Madleen, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated on X that the detained passengers are expected to be returned to their home countries.
Israel Intercepts Gaza-Bound Aid Ship Carrying Greta Thunberg and Other Activists
Climate activist Thunberg, Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan – a French member of the European Parliament – are among those on the Madleen.
The FFC group posted a photo on Telegram early Monday local time, showing members of the crew sitting inside the boat wearing lifejackets and with their hands in the air.
No Israel Defence Force soldiers can be seen in the image.
In an earlier update, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) stated that the ship was “under assault in international waters.”
Drones are circling the vessel, spraying it with a white, paint-like substance. Communications have been disrupted, and unsettling noises are being broadcast over the radio,” the group reported via its Telegram channel.
Israel has repeatedly pledged to block the aid ship from reaching Gaza, dismissing it as a “selfie yacht” filled with celebrities.
I have instructed the IDF to prevent the ‘Madleen’ flotilla from reaching Gaza,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared on Sunday.
The first signs of Israeli military activity were reported by the aid vessel in the early hours of Monday morning.
Who Was on Board the Gaza-Bound Aid Ship Madleen?
Just recently, two Israeli drones flew over the FFC’s Madleen and dropped or sprayed a white chemical substance onto the vessel. The Madleen now appears to be surrounded by Israeli naval commandos,” Huwaida Arraf, a Freedom Flotilla organizer, steering committee member, and U.S. human rights lawyer, told CNN.
In a livestreamed video from the boat shared by the FFC, activist Yasmin Acar pointed to the white substance on the deck, claiming it had been dropped onto the ship. Acar later said the substance was irritating her eyes.
Before the livestream ended, Acar could be heard stating that the Israeli military was attempting to communicate with those on board.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the mission as a “media stunt aimed solely at garnering publicity,” adding, “There are established ways to deliver aid to Gaza — they don’t involve Instagram selfies.”
The Madleen is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a group that actively campaigns against Israel’s blockade of Gaza and has made multiple attempts to challenge the siege by sea.
The ship’s crew, which has publicly shared its location via an online tracker, had been preparing for a possible interception by Israeli forces. As of Monday morning, the UK-flagged civilian vessel was located in the Mediterranean Sea, north of Egypt, gradually nearing the Gaza coast.
We’re fully aware that this mission carries significant risks. Past flotillas like this one have faced violence, attacks, and even fatalities,” Greta Thunberg told CNN on Saturday.
Following an 11-week blockade that halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, Israel has recently begun permitting limited shipments. However, aid groups warn that the current levels are only a fraction of what was entering before the conflict, and the region remains on the brink of a severe humanitarian crisis, with fears of widespread famine growing.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry earlier shared a video on X, in which a Navy officer can be heard issuing a radio warning to the Madleen.
The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to maritime traffic,” the officer says. She later emphasizes that any aid must be delivered through “established channels.
In a statement, the ministry labeled unauthorized attempts to break the blockade as “dangerous, illegal, and harmful to ongoing humanitarian efforts.
We urge all parties to act responsibly and use legitimate, coordinated mechanisms for delivering aid — not provocative actions,” the statement added on Monday local time.
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