New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) — Israeli naval commandos intercepted the British-flagged humanitarian yacht Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), as it attempted to break Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Onboard the vessel were prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
According to Rima Hassan’s posts on X, Israeli forces boarded the yacht around 2 a.m. while it was sailing in international waters. She wrote, “The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m. Actions are coming — stay tuned.”
A photo shared by Hassan showed people wearing life jackets, sitting with their hands raised, indicating they were detained.
The FFC confirmed via Telegram that all contact with Madleen was lost and accused Israeli forces of “kidnapping” the activists.
Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg shared a video urging the Swedish government to intervene for the release of the volunteers. She said, “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family, and comrades to pressure the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
The Madleen, which departed from Sicily, was reportedly carrying humanitarian aid including rice and baby formula. The mission’s goal was to deliver supplies to Gaza and challenge the naval blockade that has been in place since 2007.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the attempt, labeling Madleen a “selfie yacht of celebrities,” and accused the activists of staging a media stunt.
In a post on X, the Ministry stated, “While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation… more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel in the past two weeks,” adding that nearly 11 million meals have been distributed in Gaza through official humanitarian channels. The Ministry emphasized, “There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies.”
This is the second unsuccessful attempt by the FFC to reach Gaza recently. In May, their vessel Conscience was reportedly damaged in a drone attack near Malta in international waters, an attack the FFC blamed on Israel. The Israeli government has not confirmed or denied involvement in that incident.
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