Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg, ministry says

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Jun 08, 2025 10:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Israeli forces person taken bid of a foundation vessel that had tried to interruption a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, and the boat with its unit of 12 including activistic Greta Thunberg is present heading to a larboard successful Israel, officials said connected Sunday.

The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to present a symbolic magnitude of assistance to Gaza aboriginal connected Monday and rise planetary consciousness of the humanitarian situation there.

However, the vessel was boarded during the nighttime earlier it could scope shore, the FFC said connected its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry aboriginal confirmed that it was nether Israeli control.

"The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its mode to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to instrumentality to their location countries," the ministry wrote connected X.

All passengers were harmless and unharmed, the ministry aboriginal added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The amusement is over."

Among the 12-strong unit are Swedish clime campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French subordinate of the European Parliament.

"The unit of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli service successful planetary waters astir 2 a.m.," Hassan posted connected X. A photograph showed the unit seated connected the boat, each wearing beingness jackets, with their hands successful the air.

The yacht is carrying a tiny shipment of humanitarian aid, including atom and babe formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would beryllium taken to Gaza. "The tiny magnitude of assistance that was connected the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' volition beryllium transferred to Gaza done existent humanitarian channels," it wrote.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the subject connected Sunday to forestall the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the ngo a propaganda effort successful enactment of Hamas.

Israel imposed a naval blockade connected the coastal enclave aft Hamas took power of Gaza successful 2007.

The blockade has remained successful spot done aggregate conflicts, including the existent war, which began aft a Hamas-led battle connected confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, that killed much than 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally.

Gaza's Health Ministry says much than 54,000 Palestinians person been killed since the commencement of Israel's subject campaign. The United Nations has warned that astir of Gaza's much than 2 cardinal residents are facing famine.

The Israeli authorities says the blockade is indispensable to forestall weapons from reaching Hamas.

The UN's peculiar rapporteur connected quality rights successful the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the FFC cognition and connected Sunday urged different boats to situation the Gaza blockade.

"Madleen's travel whitethorn person ended, but the mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean larboard indispensable nonstop boats with assistance and solidarity to Gaza," she wrote connected X.