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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
14 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Netanyahu under pressure as ultra-Orthodox parties threaten to dissolve parliament
Israel's parliament is set to hold a preliminary vote on Wednesday to dissolve itself following a dispute over conscription, a first step that could lead to an early election, which polls show prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu would lose. The vote could still be pulled at the last minute, and even if it goes against Mr Netanyahu, it would be the first of four needed to bring forward elections. This would give Mr Netanyahu's ruling coalition further time to resolve its worst political crisis yet and avoid a ballot, which would be Israel's first since the eruption of the war with Hamas in Gaza. Dissolving the Knesset would be a victory for Israel's enemies, said Boaz Bismuth, an MP with Mr Netanyahu's Likud party. 'During war this is the last thing Israel needs,' he said. READ MORE Mr Netanyahu has been pushing hard to resolve a deadlock in his coalition over a new military conscription bill, which has led to the present crisis. Some religious parties in Mr Netanyahu's coalition are seeking exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students from military service that is mandatory in Israel, while others want to scrap any such exemptions altogether. The exemptions have been a hot issue in Israel for years but have become particularly contentious during the war in Gaza, as Israel has suffered its highest battlefield casualties in decades and its stretched military is in need of more troops. Growing increasingly impatient with the political deadlock, ultra-Orthodox coalition factions have said they will vote with opposition parties in favour of dissolving the Knesset and bringing forward an election that is not due until late 2026. 'It's more than ever urgent to replace Netanyahu's government and specifically this toxic and harmful government,' said Merav Michaeli, from the opposition Labour party. 'It's urgent to end the war in Gaza and to bring back all the hostages. It's urgent to start rebuilding and healing the state of Israel.' Opposition parties are likely to withdraw the dissolution bill if Mr Netanyahu's coalition resolves the crisis before the vote is held much later on Wednesday. But even if it passes, the bill's final approval requires three more votes, giving Mr Netanyahu's coalition more time to come to agreements over conscription. If passed, the dissolution bill will next go to parliament committee discussions in between readings, a legislation process which could take days, weeks or months. In this time, Mr Netanyahu could still reach agreements with the ultra-Orthodox parties, his key political allies, and shoot the bill down. To pass the final reading, the bill would need an absolute majority of at least 61 votes in the 120-seat parliament, called the Knesset in Hebrew, and an election will have to be held within five months. Successive polls have predicted that Mr Netanyahu's coalition would lose in an election, with Israelis still reeling over the security failure of Palestinian militant group Hamas' October 7th, 2023 attack and hostages still held in Gaza. Hamas' surprise attack led to Israel's deadliest single day and shattered Netanyahu's security credentials, with 1,200 people killed and 251 hostages taken into Gaza. Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza has since killed almost 55,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave, left much of the territory in ruins, and its more than two million population largely displaced and gripped by a humanitarian crisis. Twenty months into the fighting, public support for the Gaza war has waned. More than 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat, adding to anger many Israelis feel over the ultra-Orthodox exemption demands even as the war drags on. Ultra-Orthodox religious leaders, however, see full-time devotion to religious studies as sacrosanct and military service as a threat to the students' strict religious lifestyle. – Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Convoy arrives in Libya en route to Gaza to challenge Israel's blockade on aid
A convoy carrying hundreds of activists has arrived in Libya after driving from Algeria and crossing through Tunisia on its way to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid on the territory. The convoy is made up of at least 1,500 people, including activists and supporters from Algeria and Tunisia – with more expected to join from Libya. The group arrived in Zawiya city in Libya on Tuesday and plans to reach Gaza via Egypt's Rafah Crossing, travelling by cars and buses. Members of a humanitarian convoy of at least 1,500 people (Yousef Murad/AP) It drove through the Libyan cities of Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte, and Benghazi to reach the Saloum Crossing which borders Egypt. It is expected to soon reach Cairo before heading to the Rafah Crossing. Jamila Sharitah, an Algerian participant, said that authorities in Tunisia and Libya have been co-operative with the convoy, helping facilitate their smooth journey. Zayed al-Hamami, another participant, said the convoy aims to push for re-opening crossings and allowing aid into the Gaza Strip. 'There are land, sea and air convoys that will arrive in Gaza despite the restrictions,' said convoy organiser Terkiya Shayibi. She added that violent responses against the convoy will not frighten them. Israel's military seized a Gaza-bound aid boat with Greta Thunberg and about a dozen other activists on board on Monday, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces deported Ms Thunberg on Tuesday. The activists on the boat began their journey to protest over Israel's military campaign in Gaza — one of the deadliest and most destructive wars since the Second World War — as well as the blocking of humanitarian aid. Experts have warned of famine in the territory of more than two million people unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Netanyahu's government faces possible collapse as opposition aims to dissolve it
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government faces a major test after the opposition submitted a bill to dissolve it, with his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners threatening to support the measure and force early elections. The ultra-Orthodox parties are furious that the government has failed to pass a law exempting their community from mandatory military service, an issue that has bitterly divided the Israeli public during the war in the Gaza Strip. While many expect a last-minute compromise, the vote is the most serious challenge to Mr Netanyahu's government since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, the biggest security failure in Israel's history. Benjamin Netanyahu (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP) The opposition submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset, Israel's parliament. In response, coalition members submitted numerous bills, packing Wednesday's schedule and buying time for last-minute negotiations. The dissolution vote, if it is not pulled, is expected to take place late at night. Separately, Argentina's president Javier Milei will address the Knesset on Wednesday. Even if the bill passes, it could take weeks or months for new elections to be called. If the bill fails, another vote for dissolution cannot be brought again for at least six months. The opposition could pull the bill if there is not enough support and submit it again in the coming weeks. Mr Netanyahu's coalition includes two ultra-Orthodox parties, and both would need to support the dissolution bill for it to pass. On Tuesday, top Haredi rabbis issued a religious decree emphasising their stand against military service, which complicates the Haredi politicians' ability to negotiate. Military service is mandatory for most Jews in Israel, but the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full-time in religious seminaries. The ultra-Orthodox, also known as Haredim, or 'God-fearing' in Hebrew, say that integrating into the army threatens their traditional way of life. Israel is engaged in the longest active war in the country's history, which has stretched its military to the breaking point. The Haredim's widespread refusal to serve, and threats to topple the government during wartime, have enraged many Israelis, especially those who have served multiple rounds of reserve duty. Since the start of the war, 866 Israeli soldiers have been killed.
