Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg and activists

An Israeli solider passes a bun to Greta Thunberg onboard the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht "Madleen" after Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade. Reuters

Israel intercepted a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid and prominent activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, that was attempting to breach its naval blockade of Gaza. The ship, named Madleen, had been sailing under the banner of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which opposes the blockade that Israel has enforced on Gaza since 2007, the New York Times reported.

The Israeli military boarded the vessel early Monday and diverted it to an Israeli port. Israeli authorities said the passengers, including Thunberg and European Parliament member Rima Hassan, would be returned to their home countries.

What happened during the interception

The Madleen set sail from Sicily on June 1, aiming to deliver aid including baby formula, flour, diapers, medical supplies and children’s prosthetics to Gaza. Israeli officials had vowed to stop the ship, with Defense Minister Israel Katz warning the activists to turn back. “Israel will act against any attempt to breach the blockade or aid terrorist organizations by sea, air or land,” Katz said Sunday.

Surveillance video released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition captured the tense moments aboard the ship as Israeli forces approached. The activists donned life vests and were later seen receiving food and water from Israeli personnel. Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the mission as a “selfie yacht” aimed at generating media attention rather than delivering meaningful aid.

Who was on board and why they sailed

Among the dozen passengers were Thunberg, who has become an outspoken critic of Israel’s blockade and its conduct of the war, and Hassan, who has also voiced opposition to Israeli policies. Thunberg defended the mission last week, saying: “No matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the livestreamed genocide.”

Israeli officials sharply condemned the activists. Katz accused Thunberg of being an antisemite and “propagandist for Hamas,” though the Freedom Flotilla Coalition maintains its mission was humanitarian in nature.

The aid aboard the Madleen was characterized by Israeli officials as “tiny” and amounting to less than a single truckload of supplies.

Why Gaza remains blockaded

Israel, with Egyptian cooperation, imposed the blockade on Gaza in 2007 after the militant group Hamas took control of the territory. The stated aim has been to prevent weapons smuggling, though critics argue the blockade constitutes collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population.

During the ongoing war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, the blockade has intensified. Humanitarian groups report that Israel barred aid deliveries for nearly 80 days earlier this year, pushing Gaza’s population to the brink of famine. While some aid deliveries have since resumed, the system remains highly restricted and chaotic.

The voyage of the Madleen is the latest in a series of high-profile attempts by activists to challenge the blockade. In 2010, an Israeli commando raid on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish aid ship, resulted in the deaths of nine activists, fuelling international outrage.

The Madleen’s interception has again thrust Israel’s blockade policy and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza into the global spotlight, underscoring the enduring tensions surrounding access to the besieged enclave.