Israeli forces intercepted and took command of the Gaza-bound aid ship along with its 12-member crew including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, officials said on Sunday. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operating under the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FCC) which left Sicily on Sunday, was travelling to raise international awareness pertaining to the humanitarian crisis there.
According to the FCC, the boat was intercepted before it could reach the shore. The Israeli Ministry has also confirmed the same.
Following the interception, the FCC posted a pre-recorded SOS video of Greta Thunberg where she can be heard saying, "My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. 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 added.
While confirming that the boat was under control, the Israeli Ministry posted a statement on X saying, "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries."
The ministry added that all the passengers were safe and unharmed. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over,” it said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that, "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament, who was also among the activists on board posted a photo on X showing people in life jackets sitting with their hands up. The post read, "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m.”
The voyage...
The voyage is operated by the International nonprofit organisation, Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and set off on Sunday with the goal of “breaking Israel’s siege” of the blockaded Palestinian territory. The crew sailed for about a week to reach Gaza’s shores, carrying a “limited amount, though symbolic” cargo of humanitarian aid supplies. Organisers earlier said in a press conference, that the voyage’s primary aim is to deliver aid and draw global attention to Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis under blockade.
While addressing the conference, Thunberg had asserted that "We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying.” She added that no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of what she termed a “livestreamed genocide” against Gaza’s people.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had emphasised that this voyage is not charity. “This is a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes,” the organisation said in a statement.
