Activist Greta Thunberg, along with 11 others onboard the Gaza-bound charity ship Madleen, has claimed that she was “intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces”. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which runs the vessel, released a series of pre-recorded videos showcasing the activists on board.
Israeli forces intercepted the aid vessel early Monday as it tried to break through the naval blockade around Gaza. In one of the pre-recorded videos, activist Greta Thunberg said, “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters.” She urged her supporters to “put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
However, just hours later, Israel's Foreign Ministry shared a photo of Greta Thunberg on X, stating, “Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits.”
Other activists aboard the ship included Rima Hassan, Reva Viard, Baptiste Andre, Pascal Raymond Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi (all from France), Sergio Toribio (Spain), Mark van Rennes (Denmark), Huseyin Şuayb Ordu (Turkey), Yasemin Acar (Germany), and Thiago Avila (Brazil).
Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid boat on Monday, preventing the activists on board -- including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg -- from reaching the blockaded Palestinian territory.
The Madleen set sail from Italy on June 1 to raise awareness of food shortages in Gaza, which the United Nations has called the "hungriest place on Earth". After 21 months of war, the UN warns the entire population is at risk of famine.
Turkey condemned the interception of the Madleen as a "heinous attack" in international waters. Iran also denounced it as "a form of piracy", citing the same grounds.
In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported it was struck by drones in an attack the group blamed on Israel. In 2010, a commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar attempt to breach Israel's naval blockade, left 10 civilians dead.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the blockade, in place since years before the Israel-Hamas war, was needed to prevent Palestinian militants from importing weapons.
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