Israeli forces intercept Gaza aid flotilla featuring Greta Thunberg

Israeli authorities intercepted a Gaza-bound aid vessel named Madleen in an overnight operation, which included Swedish activist Greta Thunberg among its passengers. The boat departed from Italy on June 1 with the goal of highlighting severe food shortages in Gaza, described by the United Nations as the “hungriest place on Earth,” where the population faces a risk of famine.

The Israeli government ordered its military to prevent the flotilla, dubbed the "celebrities yacht," from reaching Gaza. Early Monday morning, contact with the activists was lost as alarms sounded and life jackets were prepared aboard the ship.

In a pre-recorded message released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Thunberg stated they had been intercepted and taken in international waters. The coalition reported the Israeli military stopped the vessel around 3:02 am CET just off Gaza’s coast. Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the boat was redirected to Israeli territory, with all passengers reported safe and unharmed. The small amount of aid on board, mostly untouched by the activists, would be transferred to Gaza.

Among those onboard was Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who shared photos showing the crew in life jackets with hands raised, confirming their arrest by Israeli forces in international waters around 2 am.

The incident comes amid increasing global pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza after a strict blockade lasting over two months has caused critical shortages of food and essential supplies. The UN special rapporteur on Palestinian human rights, Francesca Albanese, praised the flotilla’s mission and urged other vessels to break the blockade, calling it a legal duty and moral imperative.

Israel recently began cooperating with the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to distribute aid through limited centers, though humanitarian organizations have criticized the foundation, and the UN has refused to cooperate due to concerns over neutrality and practices.

Since late May, dozens have died near GHF distribution points amid ongoing violence. On Sunday, Israeli forces reportedly killed at least ten civilians, including five near an aid center west of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Witnesses described civilians gathering for aid when Israeli troops opened fire, claiming people advanced dangerously despite warnings. The GHF denied incidents at its sites but reported distributing over a million meals, including 600,000 via community leaders.

The Israeli military also announced the discovery of Mohammed Sinwar’s body, a presumed Hamas leader, killed by Israeli forces on May 13 in tunnels beneath a hospital in southern Gaza. Sinwar was thought to be central in Hamas leadership and indirect negotiations with Israel. His death follows a series of losses among Hamas commanders during the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.