The Freedom Flotilla ship was stopped before reaching Gaza.
Israeli naval forces intercepted and detained the Madleen, a civilian boat headed to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. The vessel, which Tel Aviv has called a “selfie yacht,” carried climate activist Greta Thunberg, French MEP Rima Hassan, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, and others.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) operated the boat, which was intercepted early Monday in international waters and is being towed to Ashdod, an Israeli port. Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the detention and stated the group was “expected to return to their home countries.”
“All passengers on the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and sound, having been provided with sandwiches and water. The charade is over,” the Foreign Ministry posted on X.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz previously vowed to “take all necessary measures” to stop the boat from reaching Gaza.
He posted on X on Sunday: “To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas propaganda colleagues, I say unequivocally: turn back. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade – at sea, in the air, and on land.”
Thunberg stated that she joined the mission “because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity,” adding that the voyage was risky but essential. According to the FFC, the passengers included activists from Germany, France, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The Madleen carried a symbolic shipment of baby formula and rice, the latest in a series of flotillas challenging the Israeli blockade imposed in 2007.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the voyage as a “media provocation” and insisted that aid should be delivered through “legitimate channels,” rather than “Instagram selfies.” The ministry added that “the small amount of aid aboard the yacht that was not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through established humanitarian channels.”
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