Israel has stopped the Madleen aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other prominent activists bound for Gaza and detained those on board.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) had previously announced that the Israeli army had boarded the ship "Madleen" which was attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.
The ship was in international waters northwest of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula when Israel intercepted it.
Climate activist Thunberg, “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and French member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan are also among the names in “Madleen.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz had earlier ordered the military to take all necessary measures to prevent the ship from reaching Gaza.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on social media shortly afterwards confirming that the ship had been turned back and the passengers had been ordered to return home.
“Quadcopters are surrounding the ship and spraying a white paint-like substance onto the ship. Communications are being jammed and disturbing noises are being heard on the radio,” the FFC said. After losing contact with the ship, the FFC began broadcasting pre-recorded video messages from Thunberg and others on board. “If you’ve seen this video, we were captured and abducted in international waters by Israeli occupation forces or forces supporting Israel,” Thunberg said in her video.
Israel has repeatedly vowed to block the aid ship from reaching Gaza, describing it as a "selfie yacht" carrying "celebrities".
“I have instructed the IDF to ensure that the ‘Madleen’ flotilla does not reach Gaza,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday.
Katz stated in his post following the detention of the flotilla crew that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Organization instructed the activists to show videos of their attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, when they arrived at the Port of Ashdod.
