Israeli commandos intercepted the British-flagged yacht Madleen, part of the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which was en route to Gaza carrying symbolic aid. Among those on board were climate activist Greta Thunberg and MEP Rima Hassan.
The Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of "kidnapping" the passengers after communication with the vessel was lost. Israeli authorities, however, downplayed the incident, calling Madleen a "selfie yacht of celebrities" and claimed it was heading safely to Israeli shores.
The Foreign Ministry accused activists of staging a media stunt and noted that the aid aboard—less than a truckload—would be delivered through official humanitarian channels. In contrast, Israel reported that over 1,200 aid trucks entered Gaza in the last two weeks, delivering nearly 11 million meals.
The yacht departed from Sicily and aimed to challenge Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza, in place since 2007. The operation followed a directive from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz to stop the vessel.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)