Israeli Forces Board Gaza-Bound Aid Ship Carrying Greta Thunberg

Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound aid ship "Madleen," carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and other activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, shortly before it could reach the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military boarded the vessel outside Israeli territorial waters, detained the 12 passengers, and redirected the ship to Israel, citing enforcement of the naval blockade and accusing the activists of staging a media provocation with minimal aid onboard. The flotilla was carrying medical supplies, baby food, and other humanitarian items intended to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed amid ongoing conflict. The activists and their supporters condemned the interception as a violation of international maritime and humanitarian law and called for international pressure on Israel to release the detained passengers. Israel maintains that thousands of aid trucks have entered Gaza through official channels in recent weeks and insists that aid deliveries should follow those legal routes rather than attempts to breach the blockade. Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that the military was instructed to prevent the flotilla's arrival, reinforcing the blockade policy amid the conflict triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.