An Israeli naval operation intercepted a yacht carrying 12 activists and humanitarian aid bound for Gaza, diverting the vessel to the port city of Ashdod. The yacht, named Madleen, and its passengers, including prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg, are now under Israeli authority.
Israel’s foreign ministry stated that the activists are undergoing medical evaluations. The organizers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), asserted the Madleen was carrying a symbolic amount of aid, such as rice and baby formula, aiming to challenge the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza. They claim the interception occurred in international waters.
Israel countered by dismissing the mission as a publicity stunt (“selfie yacht”) and indicated it intends to deport the activists. The international crew includes citizens from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, with notable figures like Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament, and Omar Faiad, an Al Jazeera journalist.
The voyage, launched from Italy on June 1st, aimed to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel maintains its blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas. Video footage from the FFC shows Israeli forces boarding the Madleen, with activists seen discarding mobile phones. Conversely, the Israeli foreign ministry released footage depicting soldiers providing the activists with water and sandwiches.
Pre-recorded messages released by the FFC depict the activists describing their apprehension as a “kidnapping” by Israeli forces. Prior to the incident, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned of forceful action against any attempts to breach the blockade. The FFC has condemned the interception as an illegal use of force against civilians, characterizing the blockade itself as unlawful.
The FFC maintains that the world is watching and that Israel has no right to obstruct humanitarian efforts. The incident evokes memories of the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, where Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists aboard a similar aid flotilla. While Israel has recently permitted limited aid into Gaza, primarily through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, this distribution remains contentious among humanitarian groups.
The UN’s human rights chief has highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, where Palestinians face stark choices between starvation and the risks of attempting to access limited food supplies. The Israeli foreign ministry, however, emphasizes significant aid deliveries in recent weeks, contrasting them with the Madleen’s purported aid shipment, characterizing the latter as a media stunt.
This event unfolds against the backdrop of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza following the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The death toll in Gaza has tragically surpassed 54,880 according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Further reporting on the conflict and its aftermath follows.