Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and other activists whose Gaza-bound aid ship was intercepted by Israeli naval forces have been taken to a Tel Aviv airport for deportation, Israel said on Tuesday.

The activist group departed Italy on 1 June aboard the Madleen carrying a symbolic amount of food and supplies for Gaza, whose entire population the UN has warned is at risk of famine. Israeli forces intercepted the boat in international waters on Monday and towed it to the port of Ashdod.

“The passengers of the ‘Selfie Yacht’ arrived at Ben Gurion airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries,” the Israeli foreign ministry said on X. “Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority.”

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the group operating the Madleen, said all 12 campaigners were “being processed and transferred into the custody of Israeli authorities”.

“They may be permitted to fly out of Tel Aviv as early as tonight,” it said on social media.

Video released earlier by the group showed the activists with their hands up as Israeli forces boarded the vessel, with one of them saying nobody was injured.

1:28 Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid yacht carrying Greta Thunberg – video

The Madleen was intercepted about 185km west of the coast of Gaza, according to coordinates from the FFC.

French president Emmanuel Macron requested that the six French nationals aboard the boat “be allowed to return to France as soon as possible”, a presidential official said.

Adalah, an Israeli NGO offering legal support for the country’s Arab minority, said the activists on board the Madleen had requested its services, and that the group was likely to be taken to a detention centre before being deported.

Turkey condemned the interception as a “heinous attack” and Iran denounced it as “a form of piracy” in international waters.

In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, was damaged in international waters off Malta as it headed to Gaza, with the activists saying they suspected an Israeli drone attack.

On Sunday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the naval blockade on Gaza, in place for years before the Israel-Hamas war, was needed to prevent Palestinian militants from importing weapons.

Israel is facing mounting pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies.

In what organisers called a “symbolic act”, hundreds of people launched a land convoy on Monday from Tunisia with the aim of reaching Gaza.

Organisers of the nine-bus convoy say they are not bringing aid into Gaza, but rather aiming to carry out a “symbolic act” by breaking the blockade on the territory. The convoy is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits, an activist on the convoy said.

Israel recently allowed some deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF, and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality.

Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.

✕ Close Greta Thunberg ‘kidnapped by Israeli forces’ in international waters while carrying aid for Gaza

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The Madleen boat has reached the Ashdod port in Israel after Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound vessel off the coast of Egypt.

Israel has vowed to deport all 12 activists on board the Madleen, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The UK-flagged boat, which was carrying a symbolic amount of aid and intended to break Israel’s naval blockade around Gaza, in place since 2007, was intercepted in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organised the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.

The Israeli foreign minstry said the passengers of the boat are currently undergoing medical examinations after arriving at Ashdod port.

Defence minister Israel Katz has dismissed the activists as engaged in a publicity stunt and said the vessel would be transported to the port of Ashdod.

Mr Katz said he had told the military to force the passengers to watch videos of the Hamas atrocities of 7 October upon arrival “to see exactly who the terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is”.

The humanitarian vessel Madeleine arrived at Israel’s Ashdod port on Monday evening after being intercepted by Israeli forces, preventing it from delivering urgently needed humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli authorities are now preparing to deport all activists on board.

According to the Associated Press, Israeli officials confirmed that the activists would be transferred to a detention facility before their deportation.

Israeli naval forces escorted Madleen for approximately 18 hours as it was forcibly redirected. The ship was carrying humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza residents in an effort to challenge the ongoing blockade.

Israel’s public broadcaster reported that naval commandos and the elite Shinvir unit boarded the vessel while it was still in international waters. Israeli forces took control of the ship and directed it toward Ashdod port.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency cited the Adalah legal center, which stated that Madleen and its crew remained at sea as Israeli forces continued towing the vessel against their will.

In the early hours of Monday, Israeli naval commandos stormed the ship, which was en route to Gaza with 12 volunteers carrying humanitarian aid as part of the Freedom Flotilla, an initiative aimed at breaking the blockade on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israeli forces seized control of Madleen, and according to The Times of Israel, military sources confirmed that the vessel would dock at Ashdod, where its crew would be interrogated.

Israeli right-wing newspaper Israel Hayom reported that the prison service was preparing to receive the activists, with separate cells allocated for them at Givon prison in Ramla.

The activists will be transported from Ashdod port by the Nahshon unit of the Israeli prison service in vehicles with tinted windows to minimize public displays of support, Israel Hayom added.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has reportedly instructed prison authorities to prohibit detainees from accessing communication or media devices while in custody, according to Israeli media reports.

Government spokesperson David Mencer claimed that Israeli forces took control of Madleen “smoothly and without injuries.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement confirming that the vessel was “safely heading toward Israeli shores” and that its passengers would soon be repatriated.

International Condemnation

Israel’s seizure of Madeleine and its prevention from reaching Gaza sparked swift international condemnation.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry informed Al Jazeera that Madrid had summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in protest over the incident. Spanish authorities also confirmed they are providing consular protection to a Spanish citizen among Madeleine’s crew and have contacted his family. Spain’s Foreign Ministry remains in direct communication with its Israeli counterpart to monitor developments.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that France had explicitly urged Israeli authorities to avoid any incidents as Madeleine approached Gaza’s shores as part of the Freedom Flotilla. Barrot added that Paris had informed Israel in advance of its intention to exercise consular protection for French nationals aboard the vessel.

The European Parliament’s spokesperson said officials had reached out to Israel to ensure the safety of parliament member Rima Hassan, who was on board Madeleine. “Protecting members of parliament anywhere in the world remains a top priority for us,” she emphasized.

The British Prime Minister’s Office called on Israel to resolve the issue of Madeleine’s detention in accordance with international humanitarian law. “Our stance on the humanitarian situation in Gaza is clear—it is dire and intolerable,” the statement read.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin described Madeleine as a “powerful symbol of the urgent need to end the blockade on humanitarian aid destined for Gaza.”

Turkey condemned Israel’s actions against Madeleine, calling it a “heinous act by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that once again proves Israel is behaving like a terrorist state.” Iran also denounced the interception, labeling it “piracy.”

Amnesty International weighed in, stating that Israel’s seizure of Madeleine and the detention of its crew constitute a violation of international law.

Calls for Immediate Release of Activists

The International Committee to Break the Gaza Siege condemned the Israeli navy’s raid on Madleen, calling it an act of piracy, state terrorism, and a blatant violation of international law. The committee demanded the immediate release of all activists aboard the vessel, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

The organization urged the international community to deliver humanitarian aid directly to the Palestinian people, bypassing Israeli control.

Caoimhe Butterly, a member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s interception of Madeleine was illegal. “We have no direct communication with the ship’s crew, and it remains unclear whether the activists have been transferred to another vessel,” Butterly stated.

Tel Aviv, June 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Twelve passengers, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who were aboard a yacht bound for Gaza with humanitarian aid, have been brought to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation after the vessel was seized in the Israeli port of Ashdod.

The deportation process follows their interception at sea by Israeli forces.

Taking to X, the Israel Foreign Ministry said, “The passengers of the ‘Selfie Yacht’ arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries.”

“Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority,” it added.

The group of activists, part of a mission organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), had set out on a journey to deliver critical aid to Gaza, including rice and baby formula.

The boat, named Madleen, was reportedly intercepted about 185 kilometres west of the coast of Gaza.

A video released by the group showed Israeli forces boarding the vessel as the activists stood with their hands raised, with one of them stating that nobody was injured during the operation.

Following the seizure, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the activists were taken for medical examinations on Monday evening and shown a “horror film documenting the October 7 massacre” committed by Hamas.

“When they saw what it was about, they refused to continue watching,” Gallant claimed, accusing Thunberg and the other activists of ignoring Hamas’s atrocities and “closing their eyes to the truth.”

The FFC strongly condemned the operation, accusing Israeli forces of “attacking” and “unlawfully boarding” the vessel.

The coalition said the aid mission was entirely humanitarian, aiming to bring relief to Gaza, which has faced significant restrictions on aid since the beginning of Israel’s blockade.

Among those on board were citizens from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.

Apart from Greta, the group included notable figures such as Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament, and Omar Faiad, a French journalist with Al Jazeera.

French President Emmanuel Macron was among the leaders who spoke out strongly, urging Israel to release the detained activists swiftly.

“Requested that the six French nationals be allowed to return to France as soon as possible,” said the French presidential office.

Macron emphasised France’s commitment to protecting its nationals abroad, stating the country was “vigilant” and “stands by all its nationals when they are in danger.”

The French government also demanded Israel ensure the “protection” of the activists, with Macron labelling the humanitarian blockade on Gaza as “a scandal” and a “disgrace.”

Source: IANS

US President Donald Trump speaks as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves following a meeting in the White House, in Washington, U.S., April 7, 2025.

US President Donald Trump confirmed that he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday regarding Iran, adding that the call went well and that he is “trying to avoid death and destruction.”

Additionally, Trump said Tehran was a tough negotiator as talks continued for a nuclear deal. “We’re doing a lot of work on Iran right now,” Trump said at an economic event at the White House. “It’s tough. … They’re great negotiators.”

“They’re just asking for things that you can’t do. They don’t want to give up what they have to give up,” he added. “They seek enrichment. We can’t have enrichment. We want just the opposite. And so far, they’re not there.”

“They have given us their thoughts on the deal. And I said, you know, it’s just not acceptable,” Trump said as Tehran plans to hand Washington a counter-proposal.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the “next round of Iran–US indirect negotiations was being planned for next Sunday in Muscat,” the ministry said on its Telegram channel early on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the US president informed Benjamin Netanyahu that the US sent a new proposal to Iran, and that the US expects to hear a response in the coming days, Walla reported.