The humanitarian ship “Madleen”, boarded last night by Israeli military forces as it was heading to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, arrived late this afternoon towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod, located in the south of the country.
The British-flagged ship was boarded around 3:00 a.m. (Central European Time) in international waters, about 120 miles away from any international maritime border.
Military sources cited by the Israeli press explained that the assault on the boat was carried out by the Shayetet 13 special forces after ignoring several orders to change course and move away from Gaza. The operation was carried out “without using force” and all passengers are “unharmed”.
Israel calls it “the selfie yacht.”
The government of Israel, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has ironically described the “Madleen” as “the selfie yacht of the ‘celebrities’ is safe and on its way to Israel”. Additionally, they shared a video of soldiers offering sandwiches and water bottles to the activists.
Later, the Ministry published photographs of Greta Thunberg and Brazilian Thiago Ávila on Israeli soil. “The ‘Selfie Yacht’ docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago. The passengers are currently undergoing medical examinations to ensure they are in good health,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated.
On the ship were traveling Greta Thunberg (Sweden), Suayb Ordu (Turkey), Thiago Ávila (Brazil), Sergio Toribio (Spain), Marco van Rennes (Netherlands), Yasemir Acar (Germany), and Baptiste Andre, Omar Faid, Pascal Maurieras, Reva Viard, Rima Hassan, and Yanis M’hamdi (France).
Those who agree to be deported could depart from Tel Aviv on a flight tonight, but if they do not agree to leave immediately, they will be transferred to the Ramle detention center.
According to the human rights organization Adalah, all volunteers are being held at the port of Ashdod, where they are being processed before being handed over to immigration authorities.