Israel diverts Gaza-bound aid boat, Greta Thunberg and other activists told to ‘return home’

A Gaza-bound aid boat with Greta Thunberg and other activists was diverted to Israeli shores, the Israeli foreign ministry said on Monday.

“The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,” the ministry added.

The civilian ship, called the Madleen, was operating under the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international campaign against the blockade of Gaza, The New York Times reported.

The coalition had claimed earlier on Monday that the activists had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces” and released videos of pre-recorded messages from them.

The Israeli foreign ministry shared a video on Monday purportedly showing the passengers of the ship “safe and unharmed”.

It also said on social media that the humanitarian aid aboard the ship “will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels”.

On Sunday, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz had said on social media that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “act to prevent the ‘Madeleine’ hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza…and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end”.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has accused Israel of “forcibly intercepting” the Madleen.

“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted and its life-saving cargo – including baby formula, food and medical supplies – confiscated,” the coalition said.

Freedom Flotilla organiser and human rights attorney Huwaida Arraf said: “This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s [International Court of Justice] bind orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.”

After a two-and-a-half month blockade aimed at pressuring Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israel started allowing basic aid into Gaza in May. The humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive, the Associated Press reported.

An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta, the news agency reported. The group blamed Israel for the attack.

Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza has remained in place during several conflicts, including the current one.

Israel’s military offensive against Gaza began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then, killing more than 62,600 persons, including nearly 17,500 children.

Efforts to reinstate the ceasefire that took effect in January have stalled due to major disagreements between Hamas and Israel.

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