Israel intercepts Gaza ‘Madleen’ aid flotilla and detains activists onboard
Israel intercepts Gaza ‘Madleen’ aid flotilla and detains activists onboard
The vessel set sail from a Sicilian port one week ago
The vessel set sail from a Sicilian port one week ago
Footage released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition shows the moments the Madleen flotilla carrying aid to the Gaza Strip was intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters in the early hours of Monday, June 9, 2025. [GazaFFlotilla/X]
Footage released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition shows the moments the Madleen flotilla carrying aid to the Gaza Strip was intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters in the early hours of Monday, June 9, 2025. [GazaFFlotilla/X]
The Israeli military intercepted and seized the "Madleen," an aid flotilla carrying 12 international activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan early Monday morning in international waters roughly 200 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.
Footage recorded by activists aboard the civilian vessel shows Israeli forces boarding the ship and ordering passengers to raise their hands. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which sponsored the mission, condemned the seizure, calling it a violation of international law.
“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated,” the coalition said in a statement.
Israel denied the claims, with its Foreign Ministry referring to the vessel as a “selfie yacht” on X, adding, “There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve provocations and selfies.”
All 12 passengers remain in Israeli custody in the coastal city of Ashdid and are expected to be deported to their home countries. Many onboard recorded messages before the seizure urging their governments to act in their defense.
“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” Thunberg said in a message posted on X. “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.”
The vessel set sail from Catania port in Sicily on June 1, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Videos from the departure show cheering supporters waving Palestinian flags.
En route, the vessel reportedly stopped off the Libyan coast to “rescue four migrants,” according to the Associated Press.
The seizure comes as the Gaza Health Ministry announced that 12 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military near an aid distribution center in al-Mawasi on Sunday, bringing the latest death toll to at least 127 Palestinians killed in the past week while attempting to access supplies from Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) centers.
The Israeli military intercepted and seized the "Madleen," an aid flotilla carrying 12 international activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan early Monday morning in international waters roughly 200 kilometers from the Gaza Strip.
Footage recorded by activists aboard the civilian vessel shows Israeli forces boarding the ship and ordering passengers to raise their hands. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which sponsored the mission, condemned the seizure, calling it a violation of international law.
“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated,” the coalition said in a statement.
Israel denied the claims, with its Foreign Ministry referring to the vessel as a “selfie yacht” on X, adding, “There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve provocations and selfies.”
All 12 passengers remain in Israeli custody in the coastal city of Ashdid and are expected to be deported to their home countries. Many onboard recorded messages before the seizure urging their governments to act in their defense.
“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” Thunberg said in a message posted on X. “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.”
The vessel set sail from Catania port in Sicily on June 1, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Videos from the departure show cheering supporters waving Palestinian flags.
En route, the vessel reportedly stopped off the Libyan coast to “rescue four migrants,” according to the Associated Press.
The seizure comes as the Gaza Health Ministry announced that 12 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military near an aid distribution center in al-Mawasi on Sunday, bringing the latest death toll to at least 127 Palestinians killed in the past week while attempting to access supplies from Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) centers.
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