Ashdod: The Israeli military has seized a Gaza-bound aid ship, detaining a dozen prominent activists onboard, including Greta Thunberg, and towing the vessel to the port of Ashdod in the south of the occupied Palestinian territories. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organized the mission, announced on Telegram that communication was lost after Israeli naval forces boarded the vessel.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, live footage showed Israeli boats surrounding the ship in international waters, with soldiers ordering activists onboard to raise their hands. The FFC had launched the British-flagged yacht Madleen toward Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and rights defenders from multiple countries, including Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. This mission was in direct defiance of Israel’s blockade.

Greta Thunberg, in a video posted on her X account, stated that they were intercepted and detained by Israeli forces. Earlier, in an audio message to The Sunday Times, Thunberg reaffirmed her support for Gaza and condemned the situation, describing their mission as a stance against silence in the face of genocide and injustice.

The incident has sparked international condemnation. Hamas called on the global community to condemn the attack on the aid ship, labeling the action as ‘Zionist piracy’ and demanding the immediate release of the activists. Similarly, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine denounced the Israeli actions as maritime piracy and a war crime.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, urged the British government to act to secure the release of the ship and its passengers. Albanese, a supporter of the FFC operation, encouraged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade, emphasizing that while Madleen’s journey may have ended, the mission continues.