Latest news with #HuwaidaArraf
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Greta Thunberg Gaza flotilla reaches port after being seized by Israel
The boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists seeking to bring symbolic aid to Gaza has arrived at an Israeli port, after Israel intercepted the flotilla. Adalah, a legal rights group representing the activists, said at 10pm local time they had received confirmation that the group were being held at Ashdod port and were undergoing processing before being handed over to Israeli immigration authorities. Demanding access to the passengers of the British-flagged yacht Madleen – which had sought to break the naval blockade on Gaza – Adalah said: 'Unless they agree to leave immediately, they will be transferred to the detention facility in Ramleh. 'While authorities have indicated that those who consent to deportation may be allowed to fly out from Tel Aviv tonight, it's unclear what conditions – such as signing documents or waiving rights – may be imposed.' Earlier, organisers of the Freedom Flotilla, said there had there been no contact with the 12 international activists for nearly 19 hours after the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters at around 2am on Monday. Warning that the activists had been 'forcibly abducted' while sailing peacefully under international law, organiser Huwaida Arraf told Al Jazeera that Israel 'has no authority' to maintain its blockade on Gaza – and criticised the UK government for failing to issue a strong condemnation of the UK-flagged vessel's seizure. Downing Street on Monday afternoon urged Israel to act 'safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law', and described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as 'appalling and intolerable'. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the Strip, where more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign launched after Hamas 's attacks on 7 October 2023 killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, with 250 others taken hostage. The flotilla, which is the latest in a long line of activist attempts to break the blockade of Gaza, sought to raise international awareness of the crisis in Gaza and deliver a small amount of aid, including rice and baby formula. During one previous flotilla in May 2010, nine people were killed after Israeli commandos opened fire on activists after boarding the flagship vessel 90 miles from Gaza. Just last month, two drones hit another vessel destined for Gaza while it was off the coast of Malta. In a video filmed before the Madleen was captured, released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, 22-year-old activist Thunberg said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel. '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.' However, speaking outside the Swedish parliament on Monday, foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said she did not believe Ms Thunberg was in need of support from Stockholm, adding: 'A great responsibility rests on those who choose to travel contrary to the advice.' Speaking as protestors gathered in Stockholm to demand action, Ms Stenergard condemned a 'dangerous' campaign to flood her ministry with calls, adding: 'The consequence is that Swedes in need abroad have to wait in line for far too long.' But the Swedish foreign ministry said it was in contact with Israeli authorities, telling Reuters: 'Should the need for consular support arise, the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assess how we can best help the Swedish citizen/Greta Thunberg resolve her situation.' With Israel's defence minister Israel Katz claiming he had instructed the military to show 'antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends' footage of the 7 October attacks upon their arrival in Ashdod, Israel's foreign ministry also sought to dismiss the flotilla as a stunt. The ministry said on social media: 'The 'Selfie Yacht' docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago. The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health.' '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,' the ministry said, days after Israel's controversial new 'aid plan' descended into chaos, with reports of stampedes and guns being fired at starving crowds. In a fresh warning on Monday, the United Nations said families in Gaza are 'hanging on by a thread' with the aid reaching the Strip remaining 'critically insufficient'. As well as tightly controlling air and land deliveries into Gaza – permitting no supplies to enter for three months earlier this year – Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the Strip since Hamas took control in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese – who has supported the Freedom Flotilla operation – urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. ' Madleen 's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid [and] solidarity to Gaza,' she said.
Middle East Eye
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK avoids condemning Israeli seizure of British-flagged aid boat to Gaza
The UK has avoided condemning the Israeli seizure of a British-flagged aid vessel heading towards Gaza in the early hours of Monday morning. The Madleen boat, whose 12-person crew included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French lawmaker Rima Hassan, was intercepted by Israeli naval commandos at 3:02am CEST. The vessel was in international waters at the time of the interception, 40 nautical miles from the Egyptian coast and 120 nautical miles from the nearest point in Gaza, the flotilla's organisers told Middle East Eye. Asked by MEE if the government condemned the interception of a UK-flagged vessel, the Foreign Office avoided directly answering the question. Instead, it referred to a statement by Downing Street, which said that the UK wanted to see Israel resolve the detention of the vessel 'safely with restraint, in line with international humanitarian law'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters A spokesperson for the prime minister added that more aid must get into Gaza, with 'unimpeded entry'. There was no further comment on the raid on a vessel that was flying a British flag. 'Israel had absolutely no authority to attack a UK flagged vessel - a sovereign UK territory in international waters' - Huwaida Arraf, lawyer and activist Under international maritime law, the UK has full jurisdiction over the vessel, and a legal duty to protect the crew of the boat. A spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organised the boat, told MEE that the mission had not had any official contact or cooperation from British authorities. 'Israel had absolutely no authority to attack a UK flagged vessel - a sovereign UK territory in international waters,' lawyer Huwaida Arraf, of the FFC, told MEE. Arraf added that not only was UK sovereignty violated by the attack, but also the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and International Court of Justice provisional measures compelling Israel to allow unimpeded aid access into Gaza. 'The UK should have spoken up early. It did not,' said Arraf. 'The civilians on that UK vessel were actually carrying out the obligations of the United Kingdom, which is the obligations of every country around the world: to act to prevent genocide.' Arraf added that the UK had in fact been colluding with Israel by not cutting off all weapons sales, or other forms of trade. 'There were quadcopters' A protest was held outside the Foreign Office on Monday, demanding that the UK secures the release of the detained crew members. The FFC said that before the vessel was seized, its intention was to sail directly to Gaza City port. That journey would have taken it from international waters directly into the internationally recognised maritime boundaries of Palestine, without entering Israeli waters. Israel claims that all waters around Gaza are its own waters, in contravention of international law. 'They were surrounded by Israeli forces that rammed the ship and then we lost contact' - Huwaida Arraf, lawyer, FFC Arraf said that the coalition's staff members had lost contact with the crew for over 15 hours. Shortly before communication with the boat was lost, a photo was circulated on social media showing the activists with their hands up in the air, wearing life jackets. 'The last that we saw or heard from them, they were under attack. There were quadcopters, there were drones. [The crew] had been sprayed with some kind of unknown chemical,' Arraf said. 'They were surrounded by Israeli forces that rammed the ship and then we lost contact. Presumably at that point, the commandos raided the ship.' She said the team had received unofficial word that the detained crew members would arrive on shore between 7 and 8pm local time in Palestine. Greta Thunberg aboard Gaza flotilla: Doing nothing 'is not an option' Read More » Israeli authorities have confirmed that the crew members will be taken to the Israeli port city of Ashdod, from where they will be deported. It marks the latest instance of years of Israeli attacks on FFC-organised aid vessels attempting to break Israel's 18-year air, naval and land blockade on the Palestinian territory. The coalition first came together in 2010, after Israeli forces boarded a Freedom Flotilla mission in May that year and killed 10 activists. Last week, climate activist Thunberg told MEE from abroad the Madleen that while governments had failed Palestinians, it fell 'on us to step up and be the adults in the room'. We cannot sit by and allow this to happen. We are watching… a genocide happening, following decades and decades of systematic oppression, ethnic cleansing, occupation,' said Thunberg. 'We are just human beings, very concerned about what's happening, and do not accept what is going on.' The aid on board included baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children's prosthetics.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
From carrying Greta Thunberg, rescuing migrants, to Israel's interception
Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Madleen was forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military on Monday as it approached the Gaza Strip. The 12 activists on board the ship, including Greta Thunberg, have been detained by Israel for "interrogation" and will be taken to the Ashdod port. In a statement issued on Monday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of violating international law. The official statement from the coalition added that all life-saving equipment and aid were seized by Israeli commandos. 'This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ's binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,' stated Huwaida Arraf, human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organiser. The ship, named after Gaza's first fisherwoman, sailed from Italy's Sicily on June 1. After a week-long journey, the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Monday. Here's a look at the aid boat's journey so far. Congratulating Israel's swift takeover of the ship, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has stated that the 12 members of the Mavi Marmara will be shown videos of the October 7 Hamas attack. As per Katz, the 12 members, especially Greta Thunberg, will 'see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself.' As per reports, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has instructed prison authorities to prepare "separate cells" for the Madleen crew at Givon Prison in Ramla, reported Israel Hayom.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel blocks arrival of activist ship carrying Thunberg in Gaza
Israel blocked a sailing ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from entering the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Monday. Israel's Foreign Ministry said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's (FFC) ship Madleen was "safely making its way to the shores of Israel." "The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry said in a post on X. In a statement, the FFC said the Madleen had "been attacked/forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military" in international waters. "The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated," the FFC said in a statement. FFC organizer Huwaida Arraf said Israel had no legal authority to detain those aboard the ship. "These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade — their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,' Arraf said. "We are undeterred. We will sail again. We will not stop until the siege ends and Palestine is free," the FFC said. Ahead of the ship's arrival, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered the armed forces to prevent the arrival of the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week ago. Addressing Thunberg and the 11 other activists on board, Katz said: "You should turn back because you will not reach Gaza."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel has boarded Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition says
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has said the Israeli military has boarded its Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg and that communication with the boat has been lost. The group posted a photo on Telegram early Monday local time, showing members of the crew of the 'Madleen' sitting inside the boat wearing lifejackets and with their hands in the air. No Israel Defense Force soldiers can be seen in the image. In an earlier post, the FFC said the ship had come 'under assault in international waters.' 'Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white paint-like substance. Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' FFC said on its Telegram channel. Israel has repeatedly vowed to stop the aid boat from reaching Gaza. 'I have instructed the IDF to ensure that the 'Madleen' flotilla does not reach Gaza,' Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said on Sunday. 'Just a short while ago, two Israeli drones were above the FFC Madleen and dropped or sprayed some sort of white chemical on the Madleen. Now the Madleen seems to be surrounded by Israeli naval commandos,' Huwaida Arraf, Freedom Flotilla organizer and steering committee member and US human rights lawyer, told CNN. In a video livestreamed from the boat and posted by the FFC, activist Yasmin Acar showed a white substance on the deck, saying it had been dropped on the vessel. Acar was later heard saying it was affecting her eyes. Before the live stream ended, Acar could be heard saying the Israeli military was communicating with the board Israel vowed on Sunday to stop the aid boat carrying Thunberg and other activists on board from reaching Gaza. The 'Madleen' is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an organization that has campaigned against Israel's blockade of Gaza and tried to break the siege by boat. Climate activist Thunberg, 'Game of Thrones' actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan – a French member of the European Parliament - are among those on the Madleen. 'We know that it's a very risky mission and we know that previous experiences with flotillas like this have resulted in attacks, violence and even cases of death,' Thunberg told CNN on Saturday. Israel's Foreign Ministry posted video on X showing a Navy staffer issuing what appears to be a radio message to the vessel. 'The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to maritime traffic,' the unidentified Navy staff member is heard saying. She is later heard saying aid needs to be delivered through 'established channels.' In a statement, the ministry said 'unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.' 'We call on all actors to act responsibly and to channel humanitarian aid through legitimate, coordinated mechanisms, not through provocation,' the ministry added in a statement on Monday local time. This is a developing story and will be updated.
