logo
Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid boat and detain Greta Thunberg and other activists

Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid boat and detain Greta Thunberg and other activists

Arab Times10 hours ago

JERUSALEM, June 9, (AP): Israeli forces stopped a Gaza-bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board early 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 Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II, and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some 2 million Palestinians at risk of famine.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized 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.
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. 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 2½-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 Oct. 7, 2023, but later relented under U.S. pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel, and medicine.
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 doesn't 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.JER

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Netanyahu admits to arming criminal gangs in Gaza
Netanyahu admits to arming criminal gangs in Gaza

Kuwait Times

timean hour ago

  • Kuwait Times

Netanyahu admits to arming criminal gangs in Gaza

JERUSALEM: Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to arming criminal groups in Gaza, following comments by Knesset member and ex-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman who said that the government was "giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons". "What did Lieberman leak? ... That on the advice of security officials, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. What is bad about that?" Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media. "It is only good, it is saving lives of Israeli soldiers." Israeli and Palestinian media have reported that the criminal group is part of a local Bedouin tribe led by Yasser Abu Shabab. The European Council on Foreign Relations (EFCR) think tank describes Abu Shabab as the leader of a "criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks". Michael Milshtein, an expert on Palestinian affairs at the Moshe Dayan Center in Tel Aviv, told AFP that the Abu Shabab clan was part of a Bedouin tribe that spans across the border between Gaza and Egypt's Sinai peninsula. Some of the tribe's members, he said, were involved in "all kinds of criminal activities, drug smuggling, and things like that". Army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin on Friday confirmed the military supported arming local militias in Gaza but remained tight-lipped on the details. "I can say that we are operating in various ways against Hamas governance," Defrin said during a televised press conference when questioned on the subject, without elaborating further. Milshtein said that Abu Shabab had spent time in prison in Gaza and that his clan chiefs had recently denounced him as an Israeli "collaborator and a gangster". "It seems that actually the Shabak (Israeli security agency) or the (military) thought it was a wonderful idea to turn this militia, gang actually, into a proxy, to give them weapons and money and shelter" from army operations, Milshtein said. He added that Hamas killed four members of the gang days ago. The ECFR said Abu Shabab was "reported to have been previously jailed by Hamas for drug smuggling. His brother is said to have been killed by Hamas during a crackdown against the group's attacks on UN aid convoys." Hamas said the group had "chosen betrayal and theft as their path" and called on civilians to oppose them. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, said it had evidence of "clear coordination between these looting gangs, collaborators with the occupation, and the enemy army itself in the looting of aid and the fabrication of humanitarian crises that deepen the suffering of" Palestinians. Milshtein called Israel's decision to arm a group such as Abu Shabab "a fantasy, not something that you can really describe as a strategy". "I really hope it will not end with catastrophe," he said. - AFP

Iran obtained 'sensitive' Israeli intelligence: state TV
Iran obtained 'sensitive' Israeli intelligence: state TV

Kuwait Times

timean hour ago

  • Kuwait Times

Iran obtained 'sensitive' Israeli intelligence: state TV

TEHRAN: Iranian state television reported on Saturday that Tehran had obtained a trove of "strategic and sensitive" Israeli intelligence, including files related to Israel's nuclear facilities and defence plans. "Iran's intelligence apparatus has obtained a vast quantity of strategic and sensitive information and documents belonging to the Zionist regime (Israel)," the state broadcaster said, citing informed regional sources. The report did not include any details on the documents or how Iran had obtained them. The intelligence reportedly included "thousands of documents related to that regime's nuclear plans and facilities," it added. Iranian intelligence agencies and other state media did not immediately comment on the report. According to state television, "the data haul was extracted during a covert operation," and included a "vast volume of materials -- including documents, images, and videos." The report said the data was thoroughly reviewed by Iranian authorities after being securely transferred to the country. Iran and Israel have waged a years-long campaign of covert and overt operations against each other, ranging from cyberattacks and assassinations to drone strikes and acts of sabotage. Tehran accuses Israel of orchestrating the killings of several of its nuclear scientists, while Israel has blamed Iran for supporting militant groups across the region and targeting Israeli interests abroad. Western countries, led by the United States and Israel, Iran's sworn enemy and considered by experts to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, accuse Tehran of wanting to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran denies having such military ambitions but insists on its right to civilian nuclear power under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory. The report comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program, which Israeli leaders view as an existential threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently expressed support for bombing Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Last year, tensions between the two foes reached an all-time high as they exchanged direct fire amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. - AFP

ABC's Terry Moran is suspended following his social media post calling Trump and Miller haters
ABC's Terry Moran is suspended following his social media post calling Trump and Miller haters

Arab Times

time3 hours ago

  • Arab Times

ABC's Terry Moran is suspended following his social media post calling Trump and Miller haters

NEW YORK, June 9, (AP): ABC News has suspended correspondent Terry Moran for calling Trump administration deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller a "world-class hater' in a since-deleted social media post. Moran's post was swiftly condemned by officials in the Republican administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance. ABC News, in a statement, said it "stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others.' The New York-based network said Moran was suspended pending further evaluation. Moran, who interviewed President Donald Trump a few weeks ago, said in his post on X at 12:06 a.m. on Sunday that the president was a world-class hater, too. But he wrote that for the president, his hatred is a means to an end, "and that end is his own glorification.' For Miller, Moran's post said, "his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.' Vance, on X, said that Moran's post was "dripping with hatred.' The vice president wrote: "Remember that every time you watch ABC's coverage of the Trump administration.' Miller, on X, said Moran's "full public meltdown' exposed the corporate press. "For decades, the privileged anchor and reporters narrating and gatekeeping our society have been radicals adopting a journalist's pose. Terry pulled off his mask.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store