
Israeli forces halt aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and detain activists
Israeli forces stopped a Gaza-bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board early on Monday, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas.
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.
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
'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.
Israel's Foreign Ministry cast the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying in a post on X that 'the 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel'.
It said the passengers would return to their home countries and the aid would be delivered to Gaza through established channels.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag on the Madleen before setting sail for Gaza (Salvatore Cavalli/AP)
It later circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing orange life vests.
Thunberg, a climate campaigner, was among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week ago. Along the way, it had stopped on Thursday to rescue four migrants who had jumped overboard to avoid being detained by the Libyan coast guard.
'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,' Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released after the ship was halted.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
After a two-and-a-half-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group's vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta.
The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population.
Israel sealed Gaza off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, but later relented under US pressure.
In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel and medicine.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead.
Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, leaving people there almost completely dependent on international aid.
Efforts to broker another truce have been deadlocked for months.
Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and exiled.
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The Irish Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Just leave her in Gaza' Israeli hostage families slam Greta Thunberg over embarrassing ‘Freedom Flotilla' stunt
GRETA Thunberg's "Freedom Flotilla" ship stunt has been slammed by the tormented families of hostages. Anti-Israel campaigner Greta, 22, has been accused of supporting Hamas after attempting to breach the Gaza blockade. 11 Greta Thunberg pictured after the Israeli Defence Forces boarded the Madleen Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 Rita Lifshitz outside her father-in-law Oded's burnt-out home 11 The family of hostage Oded Lifshitz speaks to the crowd at a protest rally against the government Credit: Alamy 11 Greta pictured on a deportation flight from Israel Credit: Twitter/OSINTdefender Israeli naval forces seized the British flagged-yacht Madleen carrying the climate activist on Monday. Greta - who moaned she was "kidnapped" - has been blasted for her latest antic by the families of hostages who have lambasted her for wasting precious time. She has since been pictured on a deportation flight from Israel. One ex-government official rebuked what they branded an "insignificant episode which mostly manifested the stupidity of both sides". Rita Lifshitz, whose She told The Sun: "In Sweden they said it would have been better to let her into Gaza so she couldn't come back. "People don't believe in what she's doing and saying. "This will just show them more that they shouldn't believe what she is saying." Most read in The Sun Rita's father-in-law in captivity after being He and wife Yocheved were among 250 taken hostage when vile Hamas thugs tore across the border - killing at random and torching homes. Steve Brisley's sister Leanne 48, and his nieces Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were among those Greta Thunberg's Gaza 'Freedom Flotilla' boarded & seized by Israeli forces The dad, from Bridgend, Wales, took aim at Greta's stunt for wasting time which could have been used to get the remaining hostages home. "This isn't about politics or publicity for me," he said. "It's about families torn apart and 55 "Their loved ones wait for their return - for an embrace or a burial. "Every moment wasted on anything else adds to the suffering on both sides." 11 Steve Brisley, whose sister and two nieces were killed on 7 October by Hamas Credit: AFP 11 Rita Lifshitz stands near her son, Daniel Lifshitz, as he delivers his grandfather's eulogy during the funeral for Oded Lifshitz Credit: Getty 11 Ruins of a kibbutz decimated by Hamas Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun 11 Greta Thunberg speaking at a press conference Credit: Getty Efrat Machikawa, whose elderly uncle Gadi Moses was trapped in Gaza for 15 months, resonated with Steve's call. She said: "The only comment I might have at the moment is to bring the focus on releasing all hostages and ending this terrible war, so we can all heal. "Every day passing is a day too late for all of us in the region." Israeli's furious government has vowed to make Greta and other activists detained Haunting clips shows innocents, including children, being slaughtered by Hamas savages during the attacks. The footage - titled "Bearing Witness" - was taken from the Hamas terrorists' bodycams as they Hamas unleashed carnage in the Middle East after massacring more than 1,200 and abducting 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. What happened on October 7? ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation's history. Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly. The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence. Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock. And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival - killing at least 364 people there alone. The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war. The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 16 months of devastation that followed. Some 56 hostages remain in Gaza - 20 of whom Greta's bid to get into the strip with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) came after a failed attempt in May, when another of its vessels was struck by two drones in international waters off Malta. Footage on Monday showed the Israeli Navy communicating with the Madleen over a loudspeaker, urging it to change course. Israeli forces boarded the ship and the foreign ministry later confirmed it was "safely making its way to the shores of Israel ". All passengers were safe, unharmed and handed sandwiches and water before the vessel docked at the southern Israeli port of Ashdod. The boat was carrying a "tiny amount of aid" on board - which will be sent to Gaza. Greta had earlier posted on social media with a Palestine flag and wearing a keffiyeh scarf while on the journey. Who is on board the "Freedom Flotilla"? Greta Thunberg - Swedish climate activist Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian MEP Yasemin Acar – German activist Thiago Avila – Brazilian activist Omar Faiad – French journalist Pascal Maurieras – French activist Yanis Mhamdi – French reporter Suayb Ordu – Turkish activist Sergio Toribio – Spanish activist Marco van Rennes – Dutch activist Reva Viard – French activist Liam Cunningham - Irish Game of Thrones actor Baptiste Andre - French Physician US President Donald Trump commented: "She's a strange person. "I think she needs to go to an anger management class." Travelling alongside her was Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament of Palestinian descent. She was barred from entering Israel due to her outspoken criticism of the country's Read more on the Irish Sun Organisers claimed pro-Palestinian FFC claimed the voyage was 'a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel's illegal siege". Israel imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza in late 2023, following Hamas's horror massacre on southern Israel on October 7. 11 A photo posted on Telegram purportedly showing activists with their hands up on board the Madleen Credit: Freedom Flotilla Coalition 11 Greta Thunberg was part of the crew of the ship Madleen Credit: Getty 11 Greta Thunberg on board the "Freedom Flotilla" aid mission Credit: @chris_kebbon


Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Deadly shooting by Israeli forces near Palestinian aid site in Gaza
Israeli forces have fired toward crowds making their way to a food distribution point in the Gaza Strip, killing three people and wounding scores more, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it referred to as suspects who it said had advanced toward its troops hundreds of yards from the aid site prior to its opening hours. Experts and humanitarian aid workers say Israel's blockade and 20-month military campaign have pushed Gaza to the brink of famine. #Gaza, another day of aid distribution another day of death traps. Day after day, casualties & scores of injured are reported at distribution points manned by Israel & private security companies. This humiliating system continues to force thousands of hungry & desperate people… — Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) June 10, 2025 Around 130 people have been killed in a number of shootings near aid sites run by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which are in military zones that are off-limits to independent media. The Israeli military has acknowledged firing warning shots on previous occasions at people who it says approached its forces in a suspicious manner. The foundation says there has been no violence in or around the distribution points themselves. But it has warned people to stay on designated access routes and it paused delivery last week while it held talks with the military on improving safety. Thousands of Palestinians ar receiving aid (AP) Two men and a child were killed and at least 130 were wounded on Tuesday, according to Nader Garghoun, a spokesperson for the al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. He said most were being treated for gunshot wounds. Witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli forces opened fire at around 2am local time (midnight BST), several hundred yards from the aid site in central Gaza. Crowds of Palestinians seeking desperately needed food often head to the sites hours before dawn, hoping to beat the crowds. Mohammed Abu Hussein, a resident of the nearby built-up Bureij refugee camp, said Israeli drones and tanks opened fire, and that he saw five people wounded by gunshots. Abed Haniyah, another witness, said Israeli forces opened fire 'indiscriminately' as thousands of people were attempting to reach the food site. 'What happens every day is humiliation,' he said. 'Every day, people are killed just trying to get food for their children.' Activists, lawyers and medical professionals from North Africa are departing from Tunisia to Gaza to break Israel's blockade on the territory (AP) Israel and the United States say they set up the new food distribution system to prevent Hamas from stealing humanitarian aid and using it to finance militant activities. The United Nations, which runs a longstanding system capable of delivering aid to all parts of Gaza, says there is no evidence of any systematic diversion. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the new system, saying it violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to decide who receives aid and by forcing Palestinians to relocate to just three currently operational sites. The other two distribution sites are in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah, which Israel has transformed into a military zone. Israeli forces maintain an outer perimeter around all three hubs, and Palestinians must pass close to them to reach the distribution points. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of creating a 'sterile zone' in Rafah free of Hamas and of moving the territory's entire population there. He has also said Israel will facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of Gaza's two million Palestinians to other countries – plans rejected by much of the international community, including the Palestinians, who view it as forcible expulsion. While people in #Gaza have lost everything and need everything, the Israeli authorities have blocked the delivery of safe and dignified aid at scale to the people of Gaza for over three months now. We are not asking for the impossible. Allow us to do our work: assist people in… — UNRWA (@UNRWA) June 9, 2025 Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, when Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage. They still hold 55 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead, but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population, often multiple times.


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Activists ask Government to ‘go deeper' on holding Israel to account
A group of Israeli activists who have travelled to Dublin have called on the Government to take 'concrete action' to hold Israel to account. A former IDF soldier turned activist travelling with the delegation said it has been clear for a while that the destruction of Gaza has become the goal in and of itself. Christian Aid and Trócaire hosted a visit from Irish Aid-funded partner organisations B'Tselem and Breaking the Silence. Sarit Michaeli and Nasser Nawaj'ah are members of the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, known as B'Tselem. The Israeli non-profit organisation aims to document human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Ms Michaeli said that Israel will not change its policies on its own and is committed to 'deepening its control' over all Palestinians in the region. 'The principle that guides Israeli policy, very sadly and unfortunately, is the principle of Jewish supremacy, which makes Israeli Jews like us superior over Palestinians, not just Palestinian residents of the West Bank, but all Palestinians living in our region,' she said. 'That's like the essence of apartheid as we see it.' She added: 'We appreciate very much Ireland's role up to now and the very small changes that are happening in terms of international responses to what Israel is doing. 'But this needs to continue deeper, and there needs to be more commitment. 'There are irreversible, permanent, deep, egregious violations happening on the ground right now that really necessitate a very, very urgent and serious response.' She said there is an obligation on all EU member states to intervene and implement the interim measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Government is to draft legislation to ban the trade of goods with Palestinian lands illegally occupied by Israeli settlements, using the ICJ advisory opinion from July as a legal basis. 'Broader EU response is inadequate' But it has been criticised for suggesting that the trade of services would not be included in the ban. 'There are clear steps in the decision and there's also an opening now with the EU review of the association agreement,' Ms Michaeli said. 'The international community involvement isn't just about some sort of kind of goodwill gesture the international community is enacting. It's an obligation. These are also, in some cases, actual legal obligations just to prevent certain international crimes from occurring. 'I don't think the EU has stood up to the moment, to its obligations. On the contrary, I think the fact that we are still in this day and age, we're talking about reaching more or less 60,000 people being killed, having been killed by Israel in Gaza since the horrors of October 7, including the current ongoing starvation of two million people. 'The bottom line is, when you look at this reality, I think that the broader EU response is absolutely and hugely inadequate.' She said the decision by the EU to review its association agreement with Israel is a 'shocking delay'. She added: 'It's very hard to grasp how people survive and live in a situation where there is literally no-one to protect them if someone attacks them, which is what these (West Bank) communities are going through. 'Israeli soldiers are being killed constantly in Gaza and this is also something that is raising a lot of opposition internally to the war. But there is no possibility now, internally in at least in my reading, to change things from within, inside Israel on this level. And therefore this brings, again, the need to strengthen international action.' She said that a war of revenge is taking place in Gaza and the end goal is the total destruction of the Palestinian people. 'It's not just about revenge. It's also about pursuing political objections that the Israeli government has been pursuing long before, utilising this as an opportunity,' she added. Removing Palestinians from huge swathes of land and wiping out the Palestinians' presence. Joel Carmel is a former IDF solider and is part of Breaking the Silence, an Israeli veterans' organisation aimed at raising awareness about the Israeli war crimes. The organisation collects testimonies of former soldiers who served in the occupied territories, whether it's the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, and uses those testimonies in order to shed light on what the occupation looks like from the inside. Mr Carmel previously served in the IDF's Cogat unit (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) on the Gaza border. 'I was serving in this unit, Cogat, which is basically responsible for the application of Israeli government policy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 'I went overnight from being a cadet to being responsible more or less for the freedom of movement of tens of thousands of people in the area and in northern West Bank. 'The deeper I went and the further I got through my service, it became clearer to me that there's not really a way that you can influence from the inside when you're part of such a big system which is so geared towards making it impossible for Palestinians to live their lives freely. 'I feel that by doing this, I'm at least I'm doing my part in a way, to make up for what I was part of.' He said: 'As someone living in Israel, you can very easily live your life, not even knowing that the occupation exists. 'I think it's time that we as an Israeli society, first and foremost, but the world in general, should be able to differentiate between those two things, because it shouldn't be normalised the way it has been.' 'Destruction in Gaza' He added: 'The reason that the IDF are still there, supposedly, is because of the hostages. Even though we're very much doing what we're doing in Gaza at the expense of the hostages, and we're seeing more of them being killed because of Israeli action in Gaza. 'The end game here is to clear the Gaza strip of Palestinians in exactly the same way that was their idea is to clear Area C in West Bank in order to set up settlements. 'For a while now, it's been clear that destruction in Gaza has become a goal in and of itself, not just a means to an end. And we see that in all sorts of ways.' Mr Nawaj'ah, who is from the village of Susiya in the West Bank, has been campaigning since he was teenager. Now a Palestinian human rights defender and a field researcher, he said settler violence in the region is getting worse. He said that Ireland's response to Gaza has been as a humanitarian and moral one, and is important within the EU. 'We don't know how many villages are being annexed and we are taking our last breath,' he said. 'Settlers have been increasing and soldiers have been attacking homes and villages every day, late at night. 'They are successful in annexing villages and forcing people out of their homes. 'The state of Israel gives them a shield and cover to do these things. 'A lot of the lands in the Jordan Valley have been transferred to settlers, who bring their sheep and cows. 'We are helpless as the Israeli army do not intervene in favour of Palestinians. 'The war in Gaza has its end goal, which is to basically lead to ethnic cleansing, which is a goal of the current right-wing Israeli government.' Read More Greta Thunberg deported from Israel after Gaza-bound aid ship seized