Gaza-bound aid boat with Greta Thunberg onboard seized
Israeli forces seized a charity vessel, the British-flagged yacht Madleen, carrying Greta Thunberg and 11 others attempting to breach the naval blockade of Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)-operated vessel aimed to deliver symbolic aid, including baby formula and rice, to Gaza and highlight the humanitarian crisis.
The FFC reported the boat was boarded overnight before reaching Gaza, which Israel's foreign ministry later confirmed.
Israel's foreign ministry dismissed the Madleen as a "selfie yacht" and the mission as a publicity stunt, stating all passengers were safe and unharmed and would be returned home.
The ministry added that the passengers were provided with sandwiches and water.
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Greta Thunberg and her 'freedom flotilla' crew 'are forced to watch video of Hamas October 7 atrocities after Gaza-bound aid boat was boarded by IDF - as Israel condemns 'selfie yacht' stunt
The crew of activists sailing to Gaza will be forced to watch a video of Hamas ' October 7 atrocities after being intercepted by the IDF, Israel 's defence minister said. Israel Katz congratulated the military on its 'quick and safe takeover' of the Madleen after Israeli commandos seized the vessel in international waters overnight. The group of 12, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, faced a terrifying night on the Mediterranean, shadowed by speedboats and drones, before being stopped. Israel, which had said last week it would prevent the group from reaching Gaza with a symbolic gesture of aid, said the crew would be taken to the Israeli Port of Ashdod. Katz said the crew would there be shown 'the video of the horrors' of the Hamas-led attack on Israel. He said it was 'appropriate' the crew see 'what atrocities [Hamas] committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself'. The video reportedly contains 43 minutes of 'uncensored' footage of 'people being massacred and bodies mutilated during the onslaught', per the Times of Israel. After diverting the boat, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. The foreign ministry derided what it called the 'selfie yacht' carrying 'celebrity' activists, saying the aid onboard would be transferred to Gaza through what it called 'real humanitarian channels'. On Sunday, Katz said the blockade, in place since years before the Israel-Hamas war, was needed to prevent Palestinian militants from importing weapons. The Madleen departed from Italy on June 1 aiming to bring awareness to food shortages in Gaza, which the UN has called the 'hungriest place on Earth'. After 21 months of war, the UN has warned the territory's entire population is at risk of famine. At around 3:02 am CET (0102 GMT) on Sunday, Israel 'forcibly intercepted' the vessel as it was approaching Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said in a statement. 'If you see this video we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters,' Thunberg said in a pre-recorded video shared by the coalition. The Israeli government had vowed to prevent the 'unauthorised' ship from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back. The FFC had said earlier that the ship had come 'under assault in international waters'. 'Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white paint-like substance. Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' the coalition wrote on Telegram. Activist Yasmin Acar shared video from the vessel showing a white substance on the deck. She said it had been dropped on the Madleen. Acar was later heard saying it was affecting her eyes. It was unclear what the substance was. Israel has come under criticism for apprehending the group of activists in international waters. Francesca Albanese, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said the British government must 'urgently seek full clarification' of the ship's status and work to 'secure the immediate release' of the vessel and crew. 'The Madleen must be allowed to continue its lawful humanitarian mission to Gaza,' she said. MailOnline approached the Foreign Office for comment. Critics have branded the interception 'state piracy' and condemned the lack of action from the crew members' respective governments. Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, told Al Jazeera: 'This is not only an act of state piracy. It's in direct violation of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).' Israel's foreign ministry stressed in a statement today that all crew members were 'safe and unharmed'. It said that it expected the activists to return to their home countries. 'The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,' it added. 'While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza. 'There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies. Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency.
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The National
an hour ago
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Israel issues statement after 'unlawfully' detaining Madleen aid ship
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship the Madleen was captured by Israel's forces overnight, with activist Greta Thunberg, who was on board, saying in a statement that they had been 'intercepted and kidnapped'. In a video posted to social media, Thunberg said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel. 'I urge all my friends, family, and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.' SOS! the volunteers on 'Madleen' have been kidnapped by Israeli forces. Greta Thunberg is a Swedish citizen. Pressure their foreign ministries and help us keep them safe! Web: X : @SweMFA FB : @SweMFA IG : swedishmfa#AllEyesOnMadeleen — Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) June 9, 2025 Other activists on board the ship also released statements through the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Yanis Mhamdi, a French journalist, said he had been 'detained' by Israel while trying to do his job and called on colleagues in the media to push for his release. In a statement, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said the Madleen was being taken to the port of Ashdod, which is around 17 miles north of Gaza. Katz said: "I congratulate the IDF for the quick and safe takeover of the 'Madleen' flotilla to prevent them from breaking the blockade and reaching the shores of Gaza. "I instructed the IDF to show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre when they arrive at the port of Ashdod. READ MORE: UK Government sends spy plane over Gaza as Freedom Flotilla ship threatened by Israel "It is appropriate that the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself. "The IDF will continue its war against the Hamas murderers with all its moral righteousness until they are subdued, all the hostages are released, and the security of the State of Israel is ensured." The Madleen was reportedly flying the red ensign, the UK's shipping flag. That means the UK Government retains jurisdiction over the ship even if it was in international waters. The UK Government explained in 2022: 'The UK as flag state has primary responsibility for the ship, including criminal jurisdiction, even when the ship is outside the UK's territorial waters. 'If the ship leaves UK territorial waters and enters the high seas (international waters), the UK as flag state retains exclusive jurisdiction (subject to limited exceptions) for so long as the ship remains on the high seas.' However, if the ship entered Israeli waters, then it may become subject to Israeli laws. As the Madleen was reportedly intercepted and seized by Israeli forces in int'l waters, the UK gov must urgently seek full clarification and secure the immediate release of the vessel & its crew. The Madleen must be allowed to continue its lawful humanitarian mission to Gaza. — Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 9, 2025 Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, said: 'As the Madleen was reportedly intercepted and seized by Israeli forces in international waters, the UK Government must urgently seek full clarification and secure the immediate release of the vessel and its crew. 'The Madleen must be allowed to continue its lawful humanitarian mission to Gaza.' The activists had set out to protest against Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some two million Palestinians at risk of famine. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organised the voyage, said the activists were 'kidnapped by Israeli forces' while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory. 'The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies —confiscated,' it said in a statement. Australian Green senator David Shoebridge said the seizure of the board was a 'clear breach of international law". The UK Government has been approached for comment. Who is on board the Madleen? There are twelve civilian crew members on board the ship, which is flying the UK flag. The crew members are:
