Israel blocks arrival of activist ship carrying Thunberg in Gaza
9 June 2025 09:05
Tel Aviv (dpa) Israel blocked a sailing ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from entering the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Monday.Israel's Foreign Ministry said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's (FFC) ship Madleen was "safely making its way to the shores." "The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry said in a post on X.In a later post it added that "all the passengers are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water."In a statement, the FFC said the Madleen had "been attacked/forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military" in international waters.
"The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo - including baby formula, food and medical supplies - confiscated," the FFC said in a statement.Ahead of the ship's arrival, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered the armed forces to prevent the arrival of the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week ago.Addressing Thunberg and the 11 other activists on board, Katz said: "You should turn back because you will not reach Gaza."
The FFC has said it wanted to bring relief supplies to the desperate people in the devastated Gaza Strip, and has repeatedly emphasized that there are no weapons on board.
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