Against an Israeli maritime blockade, activists claim Israeli commandos have boarded a yacht attempting to provide humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip.
On the Telegram app, the Madleen, Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) campaign group reported “connection has been lost”.
It put a picture of individuals in life jackets seated with their hands raised.
Israel’s foreign ministry stated the yacht was “safely making its way to the shores of Israel” and its guests were “expected to return to their home countries” appearing to confirm the ship had been boarded.
Among those on board the vessel reportedly off the Egyptian coast are climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Israel claims its embargo is required to stop weapons from getting to Gaza’s Hamas fighters.
Following news of the yacht’s boarding, the FFC uploaded brief, pre-recorded films of several of the activists—including Thunberg.
Activists claim in the clip “if you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped” by Israeli military or forces backing Israel.
Earlier, the FFC claimed the vessel leaving Italy’s island of Sicily on Friday carried humanitarian supplies and had been “prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack”.
With Katz’s comment as an illustration of Israel threatening the illegal use of force against civilians and “attempting to justify that violence with smears,” the FFC has maintained that the sea blockade is illegal.
“We’re not going to be scared. Watching is the globe, FFC publicity officer Hay Sha Wiya remarked.
“The Madleen is a civilian vessel carrying humanitarian relief and human rights defenders from all around the world; it is unarmed and cruising in international waters. Israel has no right to stand in way of our attempt to get to Gaza.”
The group said the Madleen is carrying symbolic amounts of infant formula and grains as aid.
Following a three-month land embargo, Israel has started allowing limited aid into Gaza, giving distribution top priority through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by Israel and the US but strongly denounced by humanitarian organizations.
Last week Volker Türk, the UN’s human rights chief, said Palestinians were being given the “grimmest of choices: die from starving or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available”.
The Israeli foreign ministry said in a post on X early on Monday, “While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity – and which included less than a single truckload of aid – more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to citizens in Gaza.”
“There are ways to help the Gaza Strip; they do not involve Instagram selfies.”
Israel started a military campaign in Gaza in reaction to the extraordinary Hamas-led cross-border raid on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which over 1,200 persons were killed and 251 more were kidnapped, almost 20 months ago.
Based on the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 54,880 individuals have died in Gaza thus far.
