CAIRO: The organisers of a Gaza-bound support boat carrying Swedish local weather activist Greta Thunberg and different activists mentioned Israeli forces intercepted the vessel on Monday (Jun 9), after Israel vowed to prevent it from reaching the Palestinian territory.
The Madleen aimed to ship support and problem Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since earlier than the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Connection has been misplaced on the ‘Madleen’. Israeli military have boarded the vessel,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) posted on Telegram, including that the passengers had been “kidnapped” by Israeli forces.
AFP misplaced contact with the activists on board.
Mahmud Abu-Odeh, a Germany-based press officer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, advised AFP that “the activists appeared to be arrested”.
The British-flagged Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian FFC, had departed from Sicily on Jun 6 and had hoped to achieve Gaza later within the day, when the interception occurred, the group mentioned on its Telegram account.
Amongst these on board the boat are Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
Israel had vowed to forestall the ship from reaching Gaza.
Shortly earlier than the FFC assertion, the Israeli International Ministry posted a video on X exhibiting the Israeli Navy speaking with the Madleen over a loudspeaker, urging it to alter course.
“The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to naval visitors as a part of a authorized naval blockade,” a soldier mentioned. “For those who want to ship humanitarian support to the Gaza Strip, you’ll be able to achieve this by way of the (Israeli) port of Ashdod.”
The yacht, with its 12-person crew, was carrying a symbolic cargo of humanitarian support, together with rice and child formulation.
The Israeli Ministry of International Affairs mentioned the Navy had directed the boat to alter course because it approached “a restricted space”. About an hour later, it mentioned the boat was being towed to Israeli shores.
“The passengers are anticipated to return to their residence international locations,” the ministry wrote on social media.
“The tiny quantity of support that was on the yacht and never consumed by the ‘celebrities’ shall be transferred to Gaza by way of actual humanitarian channels,” the ministry added.
