Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg, ministry says
Israeli forces have taken command of a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is heading to a port in Israel, officials said on Sunday.
The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the FFC said on its Telegram account. The Israeli foreign ministry later confirmed it was under Israeli control.
'The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,' the ministry wrote on X.
All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added.
'They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.'
Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
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Eyewitness News
30 minutes ago
- Eyewitness News
Israel diverts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
JERUSALEM - Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound aid boat on Monday morning, preventing the activists onboard, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, from reaching the blockaded Palestinian territory. The Madleen departed from Italy on June 1, aiming to bring awareness to food shortages in Gaza, which the United Nations 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. AFP lost contact with the Madleen early Monday morning. At around 3:02 am CET (0102 GMT), Israeli forces "forcibly intercepted" the vessel in international waters as it was approaching Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition 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 Palestinian group Hamas condemned the diversion, saying in a statement the boat was being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The Israeli government had vowed to prevent the "unauthorised" ship from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back. On Sunday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the blockade, in place since years before the Israel-Hamas war, was needed to prevent Palestinian militants from importing weapons. READ: Activist aid ship nears Gaza after reaching Egypt coast: organisers After diverting the boat, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. "All the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed," the ministry wrote on social media, adding 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. 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. It said Israeli attacks killed at least 10 people on Sunday, including five civilians hit by gunfire near an aid distribution centre. - 'Risked their lives' for food - Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal and witnesses said the civilians had been heading to a site west of Rafah, in southern Gaza, run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Witness Abdallah Nour al-Din told AFP that "people started gathering in the Al-Alam area of Rafah" in the early morning. "After about an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site and the army opened fire," he said. The Israeli military said it fired on people who "continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers" despite warnings. The GHF said in a statement there had been no incidents "at any of our three sites" on Sunday. Outside Nasser Hospital, where the emergency workers brought the casualties, AFPTV footage showed mourners crying over blood-stained body bags. "I can't see you like this," said Lin al-Daghma by her father's body. She spoke of the struggle to access food aid after the two-months Israeli blockade, despite the recent easing. At a charity kitchen in Gaza City, displaced Palestinian Umm Ghassan told AFP she had been unable to collect aid from a GHF site "because there were so many people, and there was a lot of shooting. I was afraid to go in, but there were people who risked their lives for their children and families". - Sinwar - Also on Sunday, the Israeli military said it had located and identified the body of Mohammed Sinwar, presumed Hamas leader in Gaza, in an "underground tunnel route beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis", in southern Gaza. The military, which until Sunday had not confirmed his death, said Israeli forces killed Sinwar on May 13. Sinwar was the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, accused by Israel of masterminding the 2023 attack that triggered the war. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. After the deaths of several Hamas leaders, Mohammed Sinwar was thought to be at the heart of decisions on indirect negotiations with Israel. The military said that alongside Sinwar's body, forces had found "additional intelligence" at the Khan Yunis site "underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room". Experts said he likely took over as the head of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, after its leader Mohammed Deif was killed by Israel. The Palestinian group has remained tight-lipped over the names of its top ranks.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
The Greta Effect: a timeline of Thunberg's activism leading to her being on the Madleen
The Greta Effect: Greta Thunberg Image: Supplied "We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people.' This famous quote, by activist Greta Thunberg at the Youth4Climate summit in Milan, Italy in 2021, best sums up her activism. Most recently Thunberg grew internationa attention when she and others set sail on a vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza as a protest against Israel's war on Gaza and its reported blockade of aid. . Yesterday, in a video she had pre-recorded said she and fellow activists have been kidnapped while aboard the Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 toward Gaza. @skynews Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists ♬ original sound - Sky News Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Activists say Israeli forces have allegeldy intercepted the yacht trying to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. Thunberg and a French lawmaker are among 12 people aboard the vessel. Meanwhile The Israel Foreign Ministry, on X, today dubbed the yacht "the selfie yacht of celebrities" and said they are all safe on the way to Israel where they wil be sent back home. One of the world's most notable climate activists, Thunberg first gained worldwide attention in 2018 when she started organising various protests outside the Swedish Parliament calling for stronger climate action. A dated photo of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressing plenary of UN climate conference during with a meeting with leading climate scientists at the COP25 summit in Madrid. Image: Picture: Paul White/AP Her efforts quickly transformed into a global movement named Fridays for Future, and inspired numerous other youths to join the cause and raise their voices. Thunberg, born in 2003 and 25 this year, is well known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. A timeline of Greta's activism: @najisarsour1 Activist Greta Thunburg explains why she and her crewmates on the Madleen Freedom Flotilla are willing to go this far to break the siege on Gaza. Israel has decided not to allow the Madeleine, which is sailing from Italy to the Gaza Strip with 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board, to approach or dock in Gaza. The ship is expected to arrive in the area in four to five days. ♬ original sound - Najisars Born in Stockholm in 2003, Thunberg's climate activism began when she persuaded her parents to adopt lifestyle choices that reduced her family's carbon footprint. At age 15 in 2018: Vowed to remain out of school until after a Swedish election to attempt to influence the outcome. She protested outside the Swedish parliament where she called for stronger action on climate change by holding up a Skolstrejk för klimatet (School Strike for Climate) sign and handing out informational flyers. After the election, Thunberg said she would continue school striking for the climate every Friday until Sweden was in compliance with the Paris climate agreement. She became a global icon of a new generation of activists. Also in 2018 Thunberg addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference and after that weekly climate strike protests took place on Fridays around the world. In 2019, coordinated multi-city protests involved over a million students each. She also famously attended the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit by taking a carbon-free yacht from England to New York. "How dare you"are her famous words to world leaders who she said were indifferent and inactive to the climate crisis. In 2023 she graduated from high school and she continued to gain international attention with her protest tactics have become increasingly assertive She defied lawful orders to disperse, which have led to arrests, convictions, and an acquittal. Her activism also include other causes, supporting Ukraine,Palestine,Armeniaand Western Sahara in their respective conflicts. Thunberg's rise to world fame made her a leader in the climate activist community even though she faced heavy criticism. Her influence on the world stage has been described as the Greta effect and she has received numerous honours and awards and was also Time magazine's youngest person the year in 2019. Part of her being on the Madleen was to bring attention to the Gaza situation with her Greta Effect.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Israel intercepts Greta Thunberg's aid vessel bound for Gaza
Greta Thunberg's humanitarian mission to Gaza has been intercepted by the Israeli Defence Force as they boarded the vesse. Image: Instagram Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been confirmed "safe and in good spirits" by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), after the yacht she was aboard was intercepted in waters near Gaza. The vessel, part of the 'Freedom flotilla', was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip when it was intercepted by Israeli forces. The 22-year-old had posted a pre-recorded video to Instagram from the deck of the 'Madleen', describing how they had been "intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel'. She called on her followers and the Swedish government to put pressure on authorities to secure her and the others' release. According to Israel's foreign ministry, the vessel carried 12 activists, described as 'celebrities', and a 'tiny amount of aid'. In a statement, the MFA commented: 'While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity and included less than a single truckload of aid.' 'There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip they do not involve Instagram selfies,' the ministry added. The activists are expected to be deported shortly. Ahead of the interception, footage posted to social media platform X showed members of the flotilla crew scrambling to take cover as drones flew overhead. Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, who was also on board, claimed their communications and tracking systems were being jammed approximately 160 nautical miles from Gaza. He was heard warning others to 'get into position' and urging Thunberg to take cover. Ávila later alleged the vessel was attacked and sprayed with an unknown substance. In a subsequent press release, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the 'Madleen' was 'attacked and forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military at 3:02am CET in international waters'. The coalition claimed the ship's unarmed crew were abducted and that supplies including baby formula, food and medical items were seized. Earlier reports indicated that nearby vessels had raised concerns among the 'Madleen' crew, prompting an alert. The flotilla had aimed to reach Gaza's territorial waters by Sunday, despite a long-standing Israeli naval blockade. IOL NEWS Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
