Gaza activists’ aid boat with Greta Thunberg on board docks in Israel
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Gaza-bound activist boat with Greta Thunberg docks in Israel
Yacht carrying 12 activists has been towed to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. Israel’s foreign ministry said the boat had docked and those aboard were “undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health” Organisers said the Madleen was aiming to bring a “symbolic” amount of aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. Israel dismissed it as a “selfie yacht”, saying it would deport the activists to their home countries. Israel says its blockade on Gaza is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas fighters there. The boat set sail from Italy on 1 June to raise awareness of starvation conditions in Gaza.
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Israel Foreign Ministry Israel’s foreign ministry shared a picture of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, after Israeli forces intercepted the aid boat she was on
A yacht carrying 12 activists that was trying to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza has been towed to the Israeli port city of Ashdod, after it was seized by Israeli forces. Israel’s foreign ministry said the boat had docked and that those aboard the vessel, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were “undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health”. Organisers said the Madleen was aiming to bring a “symbolic” amount of aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. They said it was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters in the early hours of Monday. Israel dismissed it as a “selfie yacht”, saying it would deport the activists to their home countries.
The aid on board the Madleen includes rice and baby formula, organisers the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said. Citizens of Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are onboard the vessel – among them Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, and Omar Faiad, a French journalist with Al Jazeera. The boat set sail from Italy on 1 June to raise awareness of starvation conditions in Gaza. Israel says its blockade on Gaza is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas fighters there. Video shared by the FFC showed the activists sitting down in life jackets with their hands raised as Israeli forces boarded the boat. Those on board could be seen throwing mobile phones overboard. Israel’s foreign ministry shared footage of soldiers handing out sandwiches and water bottles to the activists after it was intercepted.
Watch: Moment Israeli forces board Gaza aid boat
After reporting that the yacht had been boarded, the FFC posted short, pre-recorded videos of some of the activists, including Thunberg. In the footage, they say “if you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped” by the Israeli military or forces supporting Israel. On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would act against any attempt to breach the blockade. He wrote in a post on X: “I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act to prevent the ‘Madeleine’ [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza – and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end.” The FFC has argued that the sea blockade is illegal, characterising Katz’s statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and “attempting to justify that violence with smears”. “We will not be intimidated. The world is watching,” FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said on Sunday. “The Madleen is a civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters, carrying humanitarian aid and human rights defenders from across the globe… Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza.”
Gaza-bound aid boat with Greta Thunberg on board arrives in Israel after seizure
The boat, accompanied by Israel’s navy, arrived in Ashdod in the evening. The 12 activists were undergoing medical checks to ensure they are in good health. They were expected to be held at a detention facility in Ramle before being deported. Israel portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt. It said the activists would return to their home countries and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels. Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. About 600 trucks of aid entered daily during the ceasefire that Israel ended in March. French President Emmanuel Macron called for consular protection and the repatriation of all the French citizens on board the Madleen. The ship was seized in international waters about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Gaza, and Adalah asserted that Israel had “no legal authority” to take it over. Israeli officials said the flotilla carried what amounted to less than a truckload of aid.
The boat, accompanied by Israel’s navy, arrived in Ashdod in the evening, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
It published a photo on social media of Ms Thunberg after disembarking.
The 12 activists were undergoing medical checks to ensure they are in good health, the ministry said.
They were expected to be held at a detention facility in Ramle before being deported, according to Adalah, a legal rights group representing them.
The activists had set out to protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since the Second World War, and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.
Both have put the territory of around two million Palestinians at risk of famine.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organised the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid.
“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted and its life-saving cargo – including baby formula, food and medical supplies – confiscated,” it said in a statement.
It said the ship was seized in international waters about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Gaza, and Adalah asserted that Israel had “no legal authority” to take it over.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying on social media that “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.
It said the activists would return to their home countries and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels.
It circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing life vests.
Israeli officials said the flotilla carried what amounted to less than a truckload of aid.
“This wasn’t humanitarian aid. It’s Instagram activism,” Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said.
“Meanwhile, Israel has delivered over 1,200 truckloads in the last two weeks. So who’s really feeding Gaza and who’s really feeding their own ego? Greta was not bringing aid, she was bringing herself.”
After its two-and-a-half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive.
About 600 trucks of aid entered daily during the ceasefire that Israel ended in March.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after two drones attacked the vessel in international waters off Malta, organisers said.
The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the ship’s front section.
The Madleen set sail from Sicily a week ago.
Along the way, it stopped on Thursday to rescue four migrants who had jumped overboard to avoid being detained by Libya’a coast guard.
“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,” Ms Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released after the ship was halted.
Adalah, the rights group, said in a statement that “the arrest of the unarmed activists, who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid, amounts to a serious breach of international law”.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was among those on board.
She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies towards the Palestinians.
She was among six French citizens on board.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for consular protection and the repatriation of the French citizens.
“Most of all, France calls for a ceasefire as quickly as possible and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade. This is a scandal, unacceptable, that is playing out in Gaza. What’s been happening since early March is a disgrace, a disgrace,” Mr Macron said.
Next week, Mr Macron co-hosts a conference at the UN on a two-state solution and recently said France should move towards recognising a Palestinian state.
Swedish foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the crew and passengers were aware of the risks, Swedish news agency TT reported.
Ms Stenergard said the ministry’s assessment is that no-one was in danger and there was no need for consular support.
Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.
Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian population.
Israel sealed off Gaza from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023 but later relented under US pressure.
Displaced Palestinians walk past the ruins of destroyed buildings along the Gaza City shoreline (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)
In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel and medicine.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages.
Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Hamas still holds 55 hostages, more than half believed to be dead.
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said that women and children make up most of the dead.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the population, leaving people almost completely dependent on international aid.
Efforts to broker another truce have been deadlocked for months.
Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated, or disarmed and exiled.
Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition. It had aimed to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday. “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,” Thunberg said. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said all passengers were expected to return to their home countries. Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since it took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group. The U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the incident as a stunt, saying: “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunburg” The vessel will be taken to Ashdod Port, Israel, where it will be handed over to local authorities, a spokesman said. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.
Crew includes climate activist Greta Thunberg
‘If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped’
Israel says all aboard are safe, heading to an Israeli port
UN rapporteur urges more boats to challenge Gaza blockade
JERUSALEM/ASHDOD June 9 (Reuters) – Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a charity vessel carrying Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, which had tried to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip on Monday.
The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had aimed to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
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“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel,” Thunberg, 22, said in a video released by the FCC, filmed before the vessel was captured.
“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.”
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Thunberg’s statement that she had been kidnapped: “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg.” U
“She’s a young, angry person … I think she has to go to an anger management class,” Trump told reporters. He made a similar remark about the then 16-year-old activist in 2019.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the vessel was under Israeli control. Israel has called Thunberg an “antisemite” and dismissed the aid ship as a stunt.
“The ‘Selfie Yacht’ docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago. The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X late on Monday. It had earlier said all passengers were expected to return to their home countries.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament who was also on board, posted on X that the crew had been “arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m.”
A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air.
Israel’s foreign ministry later distributed a photo showing Thunberg in a green hat and orange life vest, smiling while a soldier held out a sandwich.
CREW ARRESTED
The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza.
Item 1 of 7 A surveillance footage shows crew of the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht “Madleen”, put their hands up as strong light came into the vessel, in this screengrab from a video released on June 9, 2025. Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Handout via REUTERS [1/7] A surveillance footage shows crew of the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht “Madleen”, put their hands up as strong light came into the vessel, in this screengrab from a video released on June 9, 2025. Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
“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,” it wrote.
The Swedish foreign ministry said it was in contact with Israeli authorities.
“Should the need for consular support arise, the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assess how we can best help the Swedish citizen/Greta Thunberg resolve her situation,” a Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a written statement to Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said the president has asked Israeli authorities to release the French nationals on board as soon as possible.
The French and Spanish foreign ministries said they had requested consular protection for their citizens aboard.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas.
Katz said he had instructed that upon the boat’s arrival at Ashdod port, the activists will be shown videos of atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war
Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as “state terrorism” and said it salutes its activists.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group.
The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the war which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed most of the homes of its 2.3 million residents.
At the start of March this year, Israel also sealed off Gaza by land, letting no supplies in for three months, arguing that Hamas was diverting aid. Over the past two weeks it has let in some food to be distributed by an Israeli-backed group. Scores of hungry Palestinians have been killed trying to reach it.
The United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has supported the FFC operation and on Sunday, urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade.
“Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza,” she wrote on X.
Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Rami Amichay in Ashdod, Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray in Cairo; John Irish in Paris; Editing by Richard Chang, Lincoln Feast, Sharon Singleton, Peter Graff and Cynthia Osterman
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Aid ship docks in Israel as Gaza Strip access blocked
Sailboat carrying activists has docked in the Israeli port of Ashdod. Israeli military blocked it from reaching the Gaza Strip. The activists were expected to be handed over to the police and prison authorities to be “medically examined and registered” They were then to be offered the opportunity to watch a video of the atrocities committed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Israeli Foreign Ministry labelled the international activists’ action a “provocation” and a “gimmick” while the ministry has labelled the Madleen a “selfie yacht”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X that the activists were “currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health”.
It also published a photo of Thunberg after she disembarked.
The Madleen, from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), set sail from Sicily one week ago carrying aid for Palestinians and hoping to add pressure on Israel to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
However, they were intercepted by Israeli forces early on Monday after an order from Defence Minister Israel Katz.
The ‘Selfie Yacht’ docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago. The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health. pic.twitter.com/dGOhPxQnYI — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
The activists were expected to be handed over to the police and prison authorities to be “medically examined and registered”.
They were then to be offered the opportunity to watch a video of the atrocities committed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, before being returned to their home countries via the Ben Gurion International Airport.
In a statement earlier on Monday, the FFC said the Madleen had “been attacked/forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military” in international waters.
“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo – including baby formula, food and medical supplies – confiscated,” the FFC said in a statement.
FFC organiser Huwaida Arraf said Israel had no legal authority to detain those aboard the ship.
“These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalised for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade – their detention is arbitrary, unlawful and must end immediately,” Arraf said.
“We are undeterred. We will sail again. We will not stop until the siege ends and Palestine is free,” the FFC said.
The activists argue that Israel must guarantee unhindered humanitarian access to the coastal strip.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, however, stated that the zone off the Gaza Strip is closed to unauthorised vessels under the naval blockade in place since 2007.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry labelled the international activists’ action a “provocation” and a “gimmick” while the ministry has labelled the Madleen a “selfie yacht”.
Progressive Israeli activists protested in Ashdod against the military’s deployment, holding up signs calling for the government to “end the blockade, the hunger, the genocide”.
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Israeli forces intercept Gaza-bound aid boat with activist Greta Thunberg on board
The vessel was carrying a symbolic shipment of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The crew reported signal jamming Sunday and warned of a possible interception. Israel had vowed to stop the vessel, which was also carrying Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian member of the European Parliament. The vessel has now docked in Ashdod Port, Israel, the Foreign Ministry said in a post on social media. It said the passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the British-flagged yacht Madleen was “safely making its way to the shores of Israel” after being boarded by its forces, and by Monday evening local time, the agency said the ship had docked in Ashdod Port.
“The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,” the ministry said in a post on social media, adding that arrangements would be made for their returns to their respective home countries.
The vessel, which was carrying a symbolic shipment of humanitarian aid, departed Sicily earlier this month in an effort to reach Gaza, where Israel’s 11-week aid blockade has heightened fears of starvation.
Greta Thunberg sits aboard the aid ship Madleen, which the Israeli military intercepted Monday. Freedom Flotilla Coalition / Reuters
Thunberg, a climate activist, said the mission was vital in the face of global silence on what she called a “live-streamed genocide.”
Israel had vowed to stop the vessel, which was also carrying Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist and politician; Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament; and Baptiste André, a French doctor who was traveling with the group to assist passengers injured in potential confrontations with Israeli forces.
Hamas condemned the vessel’s interception, saying in a statement, “Gaza is not alone, but rather enjoys the support of the free people of the world.”
Madleen’s attempt to provide aid via the naval route came as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been tasked with aid distribution as part of a controversial U.S.- and Israel-backed plan, announced Sunday the opening of three distribution centers in Gaza on Monday. Its centers were closed last week after dozens of Palestinians were shot and killed near its operations.
The Madleen’s crew reported signal jamming Sunday and warned of a possible interception. The Israeli navy approached the boat Monday and urged it to change course.