EXPLAINER
The Madleen was stopped by Israel on its approach to Gaza. What occurs to Greta Thunberg, Rima Hassan and the opposite activists now?
Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen help ship within the early hours of Monday morning because it approached the shores of Gaza in an effort to distribute badly wanted help to the Palestinian enclave’s ravenous inhabitants.
The ship has drawn worldwide media consideration because it set sail from Catania, Italy, a few week in the past. Because it neared the shores of Gaza, hypothesis was rife about how the Israelis would reply, contemplating their previous actions in attacking help ships crusing to supply provides to the Strip.
Israel has killed at the least 54,880 Palestinians and wounded 126,227 since its newest conflict on Gaza started on October 7, 2023, in keeping with Gaza’s Ministry of Well being.
Right here’s what that you must know in regards to the Madleen, its crew and what occurs subsequent:
What occurred?
Israeli drones encircled the Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition at about 3am native time (01:00 GMT). The drones started spraying it with a white, paint-like substance earlier than the commandos ultimately took maintain of the ship. The character of the sprayed substance stays unclear.
The Israeli troopers ordered the 12 folks on board, together with Swedish local weather activist Greta Thunberg, to throw their telephones overboard. They then filmed a video, handing the crew members sandwiches and water bottles, and wrote on X that the “selfie yacht” had been stopped.
The ship was carrying humanitarian help to Palestinians ravenous in Gaza due to the strict siege enacted since March 2. The siege was lifted partially final month, however the help distribution has since been calamitous, as Israeli troopers have shot at Palestinians in line for the restricted rations being distributed, with help nonetheless not reaching a majority of individuals in Gaza.
The place was the Madleen intercepted?
The ship was about 100 nautical miles (185km) from Gaza when it was stopped by Israeli commandos.
It was in worldwide waters on the time. Israel’s blockade of Gaza is deemed unlawful by most worldwide governments. Underneath worldwide regulation, international locations and their militaries maintain sovereign rights over their territorial waters solely, not worldwide waters.
Who was on the ship?
There have been 12 folks on board, probably the most high-profile included Sweden’s Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament from France.
The others are:
Yasemin ACAR – Germany Baptiste Andre – France Thiago Avila – Brazil Omar Faiad – France; Al Jazeera Mubasher corresponds Pascal Maurieras – France Yanis Mhamdi – France Suayb Ordu – Turkiye Sergio Toribio – Spain Marco Van Rennes – The Netherlands Reva Viard – France
The place is everybody now?
Israeli media reported that the Madleen and its crew members had been being taken to the port metropolis of Ashdod. Israel’s Overseas Ministry mentioned on X that it anticipated them to return to their dwelling international locations and used the chance to poke enjoyable at Thunberg.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz mentioned he had instructed the army to display a propaganda movie made up of footage from the Hamas-led October 7 assaults to the crew of the Madleen.
“Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting mates ought to see precisely what the Hamas terrorist organisation – which they got here to help and act on behalf of – really is,” Katz wrote on X.
A gaggle of Israeli and international activists gathered at Ashdod port, the place the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship Madleen was anticipated to dock in Israel on June 9, 2025 (Samir Abdalhade/Anadolu)
Have every other governments mentioned something?
Sure, a number of.
Spain’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs summoned the Israeli cost d’affaires in Madrid, Dan Poraz, over the interception of the Madleen, in keeping with Israeli media.
Turkiye condemned Israel’s refusal to permit the ship to dock in Gaza. It known as Israeli actions “a transparent violation of worldwide regulation”.
“This heinous act by the Netanyahu authorities, which threatens the liberty of navigation and maritime safety, as soon as once more demonstrates that Israel is performing as a terror state,” the Turkish Ministry of Overseas Affairs mentioned in a assertionreferring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There was no instant response from the governments of Brazil, Germany, France or the Netherlands – the opposite international locations with residents on board the Madleen.
French lawmakers from the Leftist France Unbowed (LFI) occasion known as Israel’s interception of the ship a “clear violation of worldwide regulation”.
