Israeli Forces Seize Gaza Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg | June 2025
Israeli navy intercepts Gazabound aid boat Madleen carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists The vessel part of the Freedom Flotilla was redirected to Israel amid rising tensions over the Gaza blockade and humanitarian crisis .
1 Key Facts of the Interception
In the early hours of June 9 2025 Israeli naval forces intercepted the Madleen a Britishflagged yacht operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition FFC The vessel which was attempting to deliver aid to Gaza was reportedly boarded in international waters and redirected to Ashdod Israel .
Among the 12 individuals on board were prominent activists including Greta Thunberg the Swedish climate campaigner and Rima Hassan a French Member of the European Parliament According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs all passengers were safe and in good health .
2 Mission Background
The Madleen departed from Catania Sicily on June 1 carrying what organizers described as symbolic humanitarian aid The supplies included rice baby formula medical kits menstrual hygiene products prosthetic limbs and water purification equipment .
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This mission followed a previous attempt in May involving another vessel Conscience which was allegedly attacked by drones near Malta disabling its systems and preventing it from continuing to Gaza .
3 Details of the Boarding
According to FFC sources the Madleen was approached and boarded by Israeli naval units around 2 am Communications were reportedly cut off using drones and some passengers claim they were exposed to an unknown chemical substance .
Photos shared online showed activists sitting with raised hands while reports circulated that the entire crew had been detained Israeli authorities however dismissed these claims labeling the vessel a selfie yacht of celebrities and emphasizing that passengers were treated respectfully and given food and water .
4 Israeli Justification
The Israeli government maintains a maritime blockade of Gaza citing national security concerns and the need to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas which governs the enclave The blockade has been in place since 2007 .
Defense Minister Israel Katz accused the flotilla of being part of a propaganda campaign in support of Hamas Authorities confirmed that any aid on board the Madleen would be examined and transferred to Gaza via recognized humanitarian channels Activists would be deported or detained depending on individual status .
5 Scale of the Gaza Crisis
The interception comes amid escalating humanitarian concerns in Gaza Since the October 7 2023 Hamas attack which killed over 1200 Israelis Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 54000 Palestinian deaths according to the Gaza Health Ministry .
The United Nations has warned of famine risks medical shortages and the collapse of civilian infrastructure in the region urging unrestricted humanitarian access .
6 Reactions and Implications
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese praised the mission and called for more flotillas to pressure the international community into action The FFC condemned the interception as forcible and unlawful urging Sweden the UK and others to intervene diplomatically .
Meanwhile critics argued that such symbolic voyages do little to address the systemic barriers to aid delivery advocating instead for stronger support of official humanitarian efforts .
7 Looking Ahead
With the Madleen now under Israeli control the future of activistled flotillas remains uncertain This latest episode underscores the tensions between activism state security and international law as the global community grapples with how to address the Gaza crisis through legitimate and impactful means .