Latest news with #IsraelBlockade
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Israel deports Greta Thunberg (PHOTOS)
Israeli authorities have deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg following her detention aboard a Gaza-bound civilian vessel. Thunberg and three other individuals were flown out of the country early on Tuesday, hours after their boat was forced to dock at the port of Ashdod. According to officials, the four activists voluntarily agreed to leave Israel, while eight others refused and were subsequently transferred to a detention facility. Activists remaining in custody face involuntary deportation after 96 hours. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the maritime campaign, had anticipated the outcome in its public messaging. Photos released by Israel's Foreign Ministry appeared to show Thunberg aboard a plane departing from Ben Gurion Airport, reportedly en route to Sweden via France. The vessel, named Madleen and dubbed the 'selfie yacht' by West Jerusalem, was intercepted on Monday by the Israeli Navy in international waters. Among the passengers were French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. Unlike previous confrontations with Gaza-bound flotillas, no injuries were reported. Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). The flotilla effort is part of a long-running campaign to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007. Similar attempts date back to 2010, when nine activists were killed during an Israeli commando raid, while a tenth passenger subsequently died in hospital from injuries. The latest mission coincided with ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, which began after a deadly incursion by militants from Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023. Critics of the Israeli response have described the campaign as excessively violent and accused West Jerusalem of committing genocide. BREAKING: Press statement by Gaza Freedom Flotilla:"We have just received confirmation that all 12 volunteers from the 'Madleen' are currently at Ashdod Port. They are being processed and transferred into the custody of Israeli authorities. They are expected to be moved to the… Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli authorities attempted to show Thunberg and other detainees a documentary about the Hamas attack, but they declined. Katz called the group 'anti-Semitic flotilla members' and accused them of ignoring the realities of Palestinian actions. Thunberg, who gained global recognition for her climate change activism as a child, has recently been vocal in her support for the Palestinian cause. She called on the Swedish government to denounce the 'kidnapping' of the Madleen passengers. However, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stated that the activists were 'not in danger' while in Israeli custody and did not require assistance.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Freedom Flotilla aid mission bound for Gaza Strip sets sail with Greta Thunberg on board
A Freedom Flotilla Coalition boat has set sail in another attempt to "break Israel's siege" of Gaza and deliver aid to the territory despite numerous unsuccessful missions. On board the boat Madleen is climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who says the movement "has to keep trying" despite the risk of violence and interception. Freedom Flotilla has tried repeatedly over the past 15 years to sail boats laden with aid and medical supplies into Gaza, which Israel has blockaded by sea since 2007. Former crew member Michael Coleman, who was part of a previous mission in 2011, says those on board would be well-aware of the risks and low likelihood of reaching Gaza's shores. Past attempts have been intercepted by Israeli forces, failed to leave port or, in the most recent instance, been subject to alleged drone attacks. Mr Coleman was on board one of two boats carrying medical supplies and activists trying to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2011. The Israeli navy said it advised the vessels to turn back or sail to Ashdod Port in Israel or to Egypt, but the activists refused to cooperate. The navy boarded the two boats and detained the protesters. "Comms were jammed and we were surrounded by a myriad of Israeli naval vessels, and they boarded using a water cannon and tasers, and used a fair bit of physical force," Mr Coleman said. "We were strip searched, put on a bus and taken to an immigration facility, and then arrived at a prison really early the morning after." Mr Coleman was held for a week in an Israeli prison before being deported back to Melbourne. The most recent attempt was earlier this month when the ship Conscience was 13 nautical miles east of Malta when those on board said it was struck twice by a drone. The ship sustained damage and lost power. The coalition said Israel was to blame, though Israel has not commented. "We don't have proof of if the drones are from Israel … [but], again, why would someone attack a humanitarian vessel carrying aid to Gaza?" a group spokesperson said at the time. A blockade on Gaza has been in place since Hamas took power in 2007, with Israel controlling the entry of goods and aid into the strip. At the time, Israel said the restrictions were due to Hamas's hostility and that the restrictions were part of counter-terror measures. Since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, entry of aid and goods into Gaza has become more tightly controlled. There have been several previous attempts by the Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza, and it made international headlines in 2010 when nine pro-Palestinian volunteers from Türkiye died en route. In this instance, a convoy of ships led by a Turkish vessel set sail from Istanbul, carrying 600 people and 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid During a night-time raid, Israeli commandos, backed by warships and helicopters, boarded the ships in international waters. Israel put the blame for the deaths on the organisers of the aid flotilla, saying the entire voyage was a provocation by a group with links to terrorist organisations. A second attempt was planned for 2011, but the ship was prevented from leaving a Greek port after being tied up by bureaucratic red tape, according to Mr Coleman who had intended to sail with the crew. Later that year, he was on board the Canadian vessel Tahrir when the ship was intercepted and forced to travel instead towards the southern city of Ashdod. "We got about 80 nautical miles off the coast [of Gaza] before the welcoming committee arrived," he said. "I joke that I am a salesman for the world's worst Mediterranean cruise." In 2015, Freedom Flotilla III, made up of four boats, set sail with 48 human rights activists, journalists, artists, and political figures representing 17 countries. The Swedish ship Marianne was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters about 100 nautical miles from Gaza. It was taken to the port of Ashdod and the rest of the ships were turned back. Other ships have been blocked from making the journey over the years due to administrative and diplomatic setbacks. In 2024, A humanitarian aid flotilla destined for Gaza was halted after Guinea Bissau decided to remove its flag from two vessels. Australian Surya McEwen participated in this mission, as well as the mission from Malta earlier this year where a ship was allegedly attacked by drones. He said 18 humanitarian workers were onboard at the time of the attack. "The other 40-plus of us were preparing to meet the ship at sea a few short hours later," he said. Mr McEwan acknowledged flotillas faced many "different challenges" in attempting to make it all the way to Gaza, and were often undermined or attacked "bureaucratically and militarily". Despite this, he said these missions were crucial in not just delivering aid to those in need, but also providing "symbolic" support. "There is a duty for people to act in whatever way possible to bring solidarity, to bring medicine and food, but also to bring hope to the people of Gaza," he said. The situation in Gaza is the worst it has been since the war between Israel and Hamas militants began 19 months ago, the United Nations said on Friday, despite a resumption of limited aid deliveries in the Palestinian enclave. Under growing global pressure, Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza, allowing limited UN-led operations to resume. On Monday, a new avenue for aid distribution was also launched — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — backed by the United States and Israel, but with which the UN and international aid groups have refused to work, saying it is not neutral and has a distribution model that forces the displacement of Palestinians. Ahead of the vessel's departure, Ms Thunberg, known initially for her climate activism said the ship will try to reach the shores of the Gaza Strip in an effort to bring in some aid and raise "international awareness" over the ongoing humanitarian crisis. "We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying," Thunberg said, bursting into tears during her speech. "Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide," she added. Israel disputes suggestions its conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide, instead saying its actions are necessary to destroy Hamas. An International Court of Justice case brought by South Africa alleging genocide is yet to be resolved. Among those joining the crew of the Madleen are Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent. She has been barred from entering Israel due to her active opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza. The activists expect to take seven days to get to their destination, if they are not stopped. Mr Coleman says if the flotilla is not successful, it will at least raise awareness of the issue. "It's been 80 days now that there's been any aid to the strip and the stories out of it are truly heartbreaking," he says. "We'll sail until Palestine is free."
Al Arabiya
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Rubio expects Israel to step up Gaza aid
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday voiced hope that Israel will step up the amount of aid it allows into Gaza after authorizing the first trucks in more than two months. 'We anticipate that those flows will increase over the next few days and weeks. It's important that that be achieved,' Rubio told a Senate hearing. The United Nations received permission to send nearly 100 trucks of aid into Gaza, where experts have warned of a risk of famine as the Israeli blockade brings severe shortages of food and medicine. Rubio, responding to a Democrat who said that the amount of aid was far too little, said: 'I understand your point that it's not in sufficient amounts, but we were pleased to see that decision was made.' Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat in the Senate, told Rubio he was aghast at images of children in Gaza 'with pencil-thin arms, with ribs you can count.' The children are 'on the cusp of death because of the policy of Israel in dealing with Hamas,' Durbin said. He pointed to criticism of Israel by Britain, which suspended free-trade negotiations and summoned Israel's ambassador, as well as Canada and France. 'Mr. Secretary, are we on the wrong side of history in watching this unfold and not responding as these three countries have?' Durbin asked Rubio. Rubio replied: 'We're not prepared to respond the way these three countries have.' Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley asked Rubio if the United States was applying pressure, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel risked losing support of its key ally if Gaza suffers starvation. 'Is the administration conveying to the Netanyahu government that encouraging migration through food denial is an unacceptable strategy?' Merkley asked. 'We don't view that that's their strategy,' Rubio said, adding that the solution for Gaza was the 'elimination of Hamas,' which triggered the war with its unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. President Donald Trump last week said that 'a lot of people are starving' in Gaza, although his administration has been careful not to criticize its ally directly. The United States and Israel have backed a proposal for a foundation to distribute aid in Gaza without participation of the United Nations, which Israel has often denounced.
Al Jazeera
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Marco Rubio suggests US ‘engagement' led to limited aid entering Gaza
Washington, DC – Top United States diplomat Marco Rubio has suggested his country's 'engagement' is what led Israel to allow a limited amount of aid into Gaza after a months-long blockade on food, medicine and other basic supplies. At a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, Democrat Jeff Merkley pressed Rubio, a Republican, about his stance on Israel's blockade, which spurred fears of imminent famine in the Palestinian territory. The secretary of state replied that the US is happy to see humanitarian assistance start to enter the territory. 'Ultimately, I don't think you would have seen the events of the last couple days without our engagement and the engagement of others,' Rubio said. Israel allowed several aid trucks to enter Gaza on Monday, and United Nations officials have said that around 100 more were cleared to reach the territory on Tuesday. But that quantity still represents a fraction of the daily needs of Gaza's population, which numbers over 2.1 million people. 'Israel remains a strong ally. We're supportive,' Rubio continued. 'We understand why for their security Hamas cannot exist. We are also very happy to see that they have allowed aid to begin to flow, and we hope that that will continue.' Several Western countries, including close partners of Israel, have recently decried the Israeli siege on Gaza. On Monday, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada said in a joint statement that they were 'horrified' by Israel's military escalations in Gaza and its blockade on humanitarian aid. They threatened to pursue 'concrete actions' like sanctions if Israel continued to expand its military assault. The administration of US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has remained staunchly pro-Israel, but experts say recent moves from the White House signal a growing gap between the US and Israel. For example, Trump did not include Israel as a stop in his recent trip to the Middle East. He has also initiated diplomatic talks with Iran and declared a ceasefire with Yemen's Houthi group — both of which are adversaries of Israel in the region. The Houthis, for instance, continue to launch missiles and drones at Israel in a show of support for the Palestinians in Gaza. Still, over the past three months, the US has refused to directly criticise Israel's decision to prevent food and medicine from reaching Gaza. But last week, at a stop in the United Arab Emirates, Trump indicated he wanted to get the situation in Gaza 'taken care of'. 'A lot of people are starving. There's a lot of bad things going on,' he said. Also last week, in an interview with the BBC, Rubio said he was 'troubled' by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher also told the BBC on Tuesday that as many as 14,000 children in Gaza are at risk of dying in the next 48 hours if food does not reach them. Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over possible war crimes in Gaza, including the use of starvation as a method of war. On Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel would only allow a 'basic quantity of food' into the Palestinian territory to stave off international pressure. 'Our best friends in the world – senators I know as strong supporters of Israel – have warned that they cannot support us if images of mass starvation emerge,' he said, according to the publication Haaretz. The Gaza Government Media Office said on Tuesday that at least 58 Palestinians have died of malnutrition over the past 80 days. At Tuesday's Senate hearing, Rubio appeared to acknowledge that more aid needs to reach the Palestinians in Gaza. 'I understand your point that it's not in sufficient amounts,' Rubio told Merkley. 'But we were pleased to see that decision was made.'
