New Delhi, June 9: Israeli naval commandos intercepted the British-flagged humanitarian yacht Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), as it attempted to breach Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Among those aboard were renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). In a series of posts on X, Hassan stated that Israeli forces boarded the vessel around 2 a.m. while it was sailing in international waters.
“The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m. Actions are coming — stay tuned,” she wrote on X. One photo shared by Hassan showed individuals wearing life jackets, seated with their hands raised, suggesting they were detained.
The FFC confirmed via Telegram that all communication with Madleen had been lost and accused Israeli forces of “kidnapping” the activists. Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg also posted a video appealing to the Swedish government for the release of the volunteers.
“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,” she said in the video message.
The Madleen, which set sail from Sicily, was reportedly carrying humanitarian supplies, including rice and baby formula. The mission aimed to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge the Israeli naval blockade, which has been in place since 2007.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the initiative, calling the Madleen a “selfie yacht of the celebrities,” and claimed the activists were engaging in 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 within the past two weeks,” adding that nearly 11 million meals had been distributed in the enclave through official humanitarian channels.
“There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies,” the Ministry said. This incident marks the second failed attempt by the FFC to reach Gaza in recent months. Earlier in May, the group’s vessel Conscience was reportedly damaged in an alleged drone attack in international waters near Malta, a strike the FFC attributes to Israel. The Israeli government has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in that incident.
IANS