JERUSALEM / ASHDOD — Israeli naval forces intercepted and seized the British-flagged yacht Madleen early Monday as it attempted to breach Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Among those aboard was 22-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The vessel, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, carried a symbolic shipment of rice and baby formula and aimed to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israeli military boarded the boat in international waters around 2 a.m., detaining all passengers, including European officials and activists.
“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces,” Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released by the group.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the seizure, mocking the effort as a “selfie yacht stunt.” “The passengers are safe, fed, and en route to an Israeli port. The show is over,” the ministry posted. A photo released by the ministry showed Thunberg smiling in a life vest with an Israeli soldier offering her a sandwich.
Israeli authorities say the small amount of aid will be transferred to Gaza through official humanitarian channels. Defense Minister Israel Katz described the mission as “a propaganda effort in support of Hamas,” adding that the detained activists would be shown videos of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.
International reactions followed swiftly. France and Spain demanded consular access for their citizens. Swedish and French leaders called for the immediate release of the activists. Hamas condemned the seizure as “state terrorism.”
The U.N. rapporteur for Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, praised the flotilla’s defiance and called on more vessels to challenge the blockade.
Israel has enforced a naval blockade on Gaza since 2007 to prevent arms from reaching Hamas. The seizure of the Madleen comes amid ongoing conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
