The so-called Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced early Monday that the Israeli Army “boarded” the ship “Madleen,” shortly after denouncing a drone attack on its way to the Gaza Strip, where it intended to break the blockade to deliver humanitarian aid.
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The activist Greta Thunberg was traveling on the boat along with other volunteers.
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How was Thunberg’s boat boarding?
The “Madleen” sailed from Catania, Italy, on June 1 and was allegedly intercepted in international waters. Israel did not provide information about the location.
“The connection with the ‘Madleen’ has been lost. The Israeli Army has boarded the ship,” initially stated on their Telegram account, informing that “quadcopters surround the ship and spray it with a white irritating substance. Communications are blocked and unsettling sounds can be heard over the radio.”
The ship was “attacked/intercepted by force by the Israeli Army at 3:02 (Central European Time) in international waters,” as later stated by the organization in a press release sent to the media, where they denounced that the vessel was “illegally boarded, its unarmed civilian crew was kidnapped, and its life-saving cargo, including baby formula, food, and medical supplies, was confiscated.”
The organizer of the Freedom Flotilla, Huwaida Arraf, described the detention of the international volunteers as “arbitrary and illegal”, and has called for it to end “immediately”.
The passengers are safe and sound, according to Israel.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated on its X social media account that “all” passengers of the ‘Madleen’ are “safe and sound”, in a message accompanied by video images showing volunteers wearing life jackets.
“The ‘show’ is over,” commented the diplomatic portfolio on what it described as a “selfie yacht” and a “celebrity yacht,” defending that “there are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip that do not involve selfies on Instagram” and ensuring that the “Madleen” is actually “a media trick,” as it includes less than a truckload of aid.
Before the assault on the ship, the Israeli navy ordered the Flotilla to “change course due to its approach to a restricted area.” “The maritime area near the coast of Gaza is closed to naval traffic as part of a legal naval blockade. If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you can do so through the port of Ashdod, using the established channels and distribution centers,” said an Israeli military member in a video released by the Ministry at that time.
At the same time, Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, applauded the “quick and safe” boarding of the “Madleen” and stated that the detained activists will have to watch a Hamas video about the crimes committed during the attacks on October 7, 2023 once they arrive at the port in Israel.
“It is appropriate for the anti-Semitic Greta (Thunberg) and her comrades who support Hamas to see exactly who the terrorist group they support and act on behalf of is, the atrocities they committed against women, elderly, and children, and who Israel is fighting against to defend them,” Katz stated.
Thunberg and the other volunteers will be released
During the early hours of this Monday, authorities from various countries requested Israel to release their citizens who were on the “Madleen” of the Freedom Flotilla.
“The President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) has requested that the six French citizens whose boat was intercepted off the coast of Gaza by Israeli authorities be allowed to return to France as soon as possible,” sources from the Élysée Palace indicated in a brief statement sent to Europa Press.
Similar actions were taken by the governments of Germany and Brazil.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel announced that the 12 volunteers aboard the “Madleen” will be returned to their respective countries once the ship arrives at the Israeli port of Ashdod, located north of Gaza.