Israel has detained Greta Thunberg and other activists with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), who were aboard a humanitarian aid ship the Madleen en route to Gaza when it was intercepted. The vessel is being taken to Israel and the passengers are expected to be returned to their home countries, CNN reports.
Earlier in the day, the FFC posted a pre-recorded video featuring Thunberg, who 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 put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
According to CNN, the ship’s passengers included Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan – a French member of the European Parliament. The ship set sail from Sicily with its 12 activist passengers a week ago, The Associated Press reports.
Per CNN’s report, FFC posted a photograph on Telegram earlier on Monday local time, which depicted members of the crew wearing lifejackets on the boat while their hands were in the air, the image did not include any Israel Defense Force soldiers. The coalition also posted, “Alarms are sounding. Drones overhead” before it said the ship was intercepted.
Israel has said it would stop the boat before it reached its destination. “I have instructed the IDF to ensure that the ‘Madleen’ flotilla does not reach Gaza,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Sunday via CNN.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has painted the voyage as a “media gimmick” and called it a “celebrities yacht.”
Referring to the humanitarian aid ship a “selfie yacht,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on social platform X that “The passengers are expected to return to their home countries” and posted video of what appear to be Israeli military members distributing sandwiches and water to the activists.
Following nearly three months of fully blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, Israel recently began allowing some aid to enter. However, United Nations and others including Pope Leo XIV have warned of mass starvation in Gaza if Israel does not fully lift its blockade and end its military campaign.
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