Greta Thunberg detained as Israeli forces seize Gaza-bound aid ship, blocking humanitarian efforts amid ongoing Gaza blockade and crisis.
Israeli forces intercepted a British-flagged humanitarian vessel en route to Gaza, detaining 12 activists — including prominent climate advocate Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan — as they attempted to challenge Israel’s long-enforced naval blockade.
The early morning seizure on Monday (June 9, 2025) took place as the boat neared the blockaded Palestinian enclave. The blockade, which has grown even more restrictive during the ongoing war with Hamas, remains a central point of contention in the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
The mission was part of a protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has been described as one of the most devastating since World War II. The activists also sought to draw attention to Israel’s restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid — conditions that have pushed Gaza’s population of nearly 2 million to the brink of famine.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group that organized the journey, the participants were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while attempting to deliver critical aid supplies directly to Gaza.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition Denounces Israeli Seizure as Kidnapping
Video footage released on June 9 shows an Israeli soldier offering food to those aboard the British-flagged yacht “Madleen” after Israeli naval personnel boarded the vessel in defiance of its attempt to breach the blockade.
Organizers claimed the boat was stopped in international waters roughly 200 kilometers from Gaza’s coastline.
Israel’s Official Response
Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the mission as nothing more than a media ploy, referring to the effort as a “celebrity selfie yacht” in a post on X. The ministry reported the boat was en route to the Israeli port of Ashdod and expected to dock later that day.
All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. pic.twitter.com/tLZZYcspJO
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
Authorities indicated that the detained activists would soon be repatriated to their home countries, while the seized aid would be delivered to Gaza through official humanitarian channels. Shared footage showed Israeli personnel handing out water bottles and sandwiches to the passengers, who were seen wearing safety life jackets.
The week-long mission saw climate activist Greta Thunberg sail from Sicily aboard the Madleen, accompanied by 11 other activists. On June 5, the crew also rescued four migrants at sea who had leapt overboard to avoid apprehension by the Libyan coast guard.
In a pre-recorded video released after the ship’s interception, Thunberg called on supporters to apply pressure on the Swedish government for the release of herself and her fellow detainees.
Also on board was Rima Hassan, a French parliamentarian of Palestinian heritage. She has previously been denied entry to Israel due to her vocal criticism of its policies toward Palestinians.
Following a two-and-a-half-month total blockade intended to pressure Hamas, Israel began allowing minimal aid into Gaza last month. Still, humanitarian organizations and experts caution that a full-scale famine is imminent unless the blockade is significantly eased and military operations are halted.
A similar attempt by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition last month was unsuccessful when another of its ships was reportedly attacked by drones in international waters near Malta. The group blamed Israel for the incident, which caused visible damage to the front of the vessel.
Past Attempts to Deliver Aid and Recent Drone Attack on Flotilla
Since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, both Israel and Egypt have enforced varying levels of blockade. Israel justifies the restrictions as necessary to prevent weapons smuggling by Hamas, but critics argue they amount to collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population.
The most recent full closure of Gaza occurred in the early stages of the war that followed the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel eventually opened limited aid channels under international pressure, but in March 2025, just before ending a ceasefire with Hamas, it once again shut off all imports — including essential food, fuel, and medicine.
The Hamas-led October 7 attack claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 Israelis, mainly civilians, and led to the abduction of 251 hostages. While most have since been freed through ceasefires or negotiations, Hamas is still believed to be holding 55 people, many presumed dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, resulted in the deaths of more than 54,000 Palestinians — most of them women and children, though the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
The destruction has displaced roughly 90% of Gaza’s residents, wiping out infrastructure and leaving millions dependent entirely on outside aid.
Efforts to reach a new ceasefire agreement remain stalled. Hamas has insisted it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Conversely, Israel has maintained it will not stop its operations until all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled, disarmed, or exiled.
The incident involving the Madleen has once again placed international focus on Israel’s blockade and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. With influential voices like Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan involved, the world’s attention is likely to remain fixed on how Israel and the global community respond in the coming days.