Greta Thunberg should thank Israel for intercepting her Gaza selfie ship
Once again, the Mediterranean has hosted a familiar theatre of self-satisfied spectacle. This time, however, the curtain has come down swiftly. The latest vessel to set sail in defiance of Israel's naval blockade of Gaza – the Madleen, a boat bloated with virtue signalling and the vanity of performative compassion – has been intercepted by the Israeli Navy.
The operation was executed peacefully and without casualties by fighters from Fleet 13, Israel's naval commando forces. The ship is now making its way safely to the port of Ashdod, its dozen passengers – including Greta Thunberg, the climate whinger turned omni-cause moral voice – healthy, unharmed, and provided with sandwiches (individually wrapped in plastic, sorry Greta) and water.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry left no doubt about the farcical nature of this voyage: 'There are ways to provide aid to the Gaza Strip – they don't involve Instagram selfies.
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Sky News
37 minutes ago
- Sky News
Who is on board the 'diverted' Gaza aid boat with Greta Thunberg?
A boat of 12 activists - including Greta Thunberg - headed for Gaza has been diverted to Israel. The British-flagged yacht Madleen - operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) - set sail from Italy on 1 May with an aim to break Israel's sea blockade and deliver aid to people in Gaza. But the Israeli foreign ministry said on Monday that the boat is instead "safely making its way to the shores of Israel". The ministry said all passengers were safe and unharmed, but the FFC claimed the yacht had been "kidnapped by Israeli forces". The coalition later released pre-recorded messages from them after previously saying that the "Israeli army had boarded" the vessel. 1:01 Who is on board? A politician, journalist and doctor are among those who have joined climate activist Ms Thunberg on the yacht. The 12 passengers - or volunteers as the FCC refers to them as - are from across the globe. Half of them are from France, while others are from Brazil, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands. It was previously believed that Irish actor Liam Cunningham was going to be one of those on the Madleen, but the Game of Thrones actor has not been listed as a passenger. Rima Hassan is a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. Baptiste Andre is a French doctor who is travelling with the group to assist passengers injured in potential confrontations with Israeli forces, according to Sky News' US partner network, NBC News. While Omar Faiad is a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, the first 24-hour Middle Eastern news channel. The full list of passengers includes: • Greta Thunberg - Sweden • Rima Hassan - French • Yasemin Acar - Germany • Baptiste Andre - France • Thiago Avila - Brazil • Omar Faiad - France • Pascal Maurieras - France • Yanis Mhamdi - France • Suayb Ordu - Turkiye • Sergio Toribio - Spain • Mark van Rennes - Netherlands • Reva Viard - France Is the UK responsible for the yacht? The FFC has said the UK government has a "legal duty" to protect the yacht and its crew and passengers as it is flying under the British flag. In a post on X on 6 June, the coalition wrote: "Under international law, the UK must: Prevent genocide, reject Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza, defend its flagged ship from unlawful attacks." After the boat was diverted by Israeli forces, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on Palestine, also urged the UK government to intervene. Any vessel registered in the UK is defined as a British ship and is allowed to fly the Red Ensign flag - a red flag with the Union Jack in the top left-hand corner. The UK government typically provides support to vessels flying the Red Ensign, but there has been no comment from the UK Foreign Office on the Madleen, or official confirmation that it is a registered British ship. What happened to the last Freedom Flotilla? Last month, an attempt by the 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. On Sunday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prevent the latest mission from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. The blockade has remained in place through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
The National
38 minutes ago
- The National
Labour Government ‘must protect' UK-flagged Madleen aid ship
The Madleen, which carried the red UK ensign, was expected to arrive at the Israeli port of Ashdod today. But the vessel, which carried campaigner Greta Thunberg and French member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, was stopped by Israeli authorities early this morning. 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. READ MORE: 'Reprehensible': LBC spark fury with report on Israel's seizure of Madleen aid ship '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. It said the ship was seized in international waters some 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Gaza and, given it is UK-registered, has called on the UK Government to act. In a statement, the group said: 'The 'Madleen', a UK-flagged civilian ship en route to Gaza, is protected under international maritime law. As a vessel flying the British flag, it falls under the jurisdiction and responsibility of the UK Government, which has a legal duty to defend 'Madleen' and the civilians on board, and to prevent unlawful interference-including any threat or use of force-by foreign powers such as Israel.' Francesca Albanese, the UN's human rights investigator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, also called on the UK to intervene. "As the Madleen was reportedly intercepted and seized by Israeli forces in international waters, the UK Government must urgently seek full clarification and secure the immediate release of the vessel and its crew,' she said. Labour MSP Monica Lennon also said her party's government must act immediately. Speaking on social media site X, she said: 'Israel has no legal authority to detain the Madleen crew in international waters and confiscate aid onboard. 'The UK Government must act immediately to protect MV Madleen and uphold its responsibilities to its flagged vessels and humanitarian principles.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid yacht carrying Greta Thunberg
Israeli forces have taken command of a vessel that tried to circumvent its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, sending the boat and its crew of 12 – including the activist Greta Thunberg – to a port in Israel, according to officials. The UK-flagged Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was trying to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza on Monday to raise international awareness to the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded by Israeli forces before it could reach the shore, the FFC said. The foreign ministry confirmed that the vessel was under Israeli control
