International

Israeli navy intercepts Gaza-bound aid ship with Greta Thunberg

The Israeli naval forces intercepted the "Madleen" vessel, carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and with Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg on board, overnight from Sunday to Monday, June 9, DW reports.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ship was escorted to Israeli shores, and all passengers were unharmed. In an official statement, Israeli authorities announced that all passengers would be repatriated and the humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza via "legitimate humanitarian channels." It remains unclear what will happen to the ship, which had attempted to breach the maritime blockade imposed by Israel.

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had ordered the "Madleen" not to reach the Palestinian coast. In a message, he instructed Greta Thunberg and her companions to turn back, labeling them "mouthpieces for Hamas propaganda."

Activists accuse Israel of an attack in international waters

The "Freedom Flotilla Coalition," which organized the humanitarian mission, claims the vessel was attacked in international waters. According to messages shared on social media, an Israeli drone allegedly sprayed an irritating white substance on the ship, and its communication signals were reportedly disrupted before the crew was captured. However, images later published by the Israeli army show no visible signs of force.

One of the campaign leaders, Huweida Arraf, stated that Israel's intervention violates international law, citing a previous decision by the International Court of Justice on unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Repeated attempts to break the maritime blockade

The "Madleen" departed for Gaza on June 1 from the port of Catania, Sicily. Approximately ten people were on board, including Greta Thunberg and MEP Rima Hassan. The press noted that the group reportedly included activists known for their support of radical Islamist organizations, such as Brazilian Thiago Ávila, who recently participated in a ceremony honoring Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

This marks the second time "Freedom Flotilla" has attempted to send a ship to Gaza with Greta Thunberg on board. In May, a similar mission was canceled after the "Conscience" vessel was affected by a fire near Malta. Activists accused Israel of a drone attack, but these claims lacked conclusive evidence.

The "Freedom Flotilla" organization, founded in 2010, states its goal is to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Previous attempts to breach the Israeli maritime blockade have failed, with ships being stopped offshore. The most well-known incident remains the one in May 2010, when nine Turkish activists were killed during an Israeli raid on a similar convoy.

Context: The Gaza conflict

Tensions in the region escalated on October 7, 2023, when the Hamas group launched a massive attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and over 250 people taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which, according to local authorities controlled by Hamas, has resulted in over 54,000 fatalities and 122,000 injured. The data does not separately indicate how many of these were civilians and how many were combatants.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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