Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid boat and detain Greta Thunberg and other activists

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By YESICA FISCH
Updated 10:01 PM CDT, June 8, 2025

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces stopped a Gaza-bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board early Monday, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas.

The activists had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II, and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some 2 million Palestinians at risk of famine.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.

“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated,” it said in a statement.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-flotilla-greta-thunberg-b64e897fb37ee374e4494381304ff9be

[Richard D]

1. Selfie yacht!

🚨 ISRAELI NAVY INTERCEPTS PRO-HAMAS ACTIVIST BOAT ‘MADLEEN’, TOWS VESSEL TO ASHDOD AND ORDERS DEPORTATION OF PASSENGERS AFTER FAILED MEDIA STUNT

The Israeli Navy boarded the activist vessel Madleen earlier today after it attempted to reach Gaza in support of Hamas. The boat, carrying pro-Hamas activists including Swedish climate figure Greta Thunberg, was intercepted without resistance and is now being towed to Ashdod Port. All passengers are unharmed and were provided with water and sandwiches. They will be deported following security procedures.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the vessel as a “selfie yacht” used by so-called “celebrities” for a media stunt. The ministry criticized the voyage as a publicity-seeking provocation, noting that the aid on board amounted to less than a single truckload and claiming that much of it was consumed by the passengers. In contrast, over 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel in the past two weeks, and nearly 11 million meals have been distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed that the unedited footage of the October 7 Simchat Torah massacre be shown to the activists on board to confront them with the atrocities committed by Hamas, whom their actions indirectly support. A Foreign Ministry statement emphasized, “There are ways to deliver aid to Gaza — they do not involve Instagram selfies.” The remaining aid from the boat will be rerouted through official humanitarian channels. As the ministry concluded, “The show is over.”


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[claudette]

2. More "self-defense"?

What a joke. Murderers

[Beastly Boy]

7. Greta Thunberg Detained, Ordered to Be Shown Oct. 7 Footage After Gaza-Bound Flotilla Seized

The yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was stopped en route from Sicily to Gaza and redirected to Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the British-flagged vessel was “safely making its way” to Ashdod port, and released images of the activists being offered sandwiches and water.

Thunberg had joined a dozen international campaigners attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. Among them was French MEP Rima Hassan, who was banned from entering Israel over her outspoken criticism of its policies.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on X Monday that he had ordered the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to show the intercepted group “the atrocities committed against women, the elderly, and children,” referring to Hamas’s cross-border attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing war.

“Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organization – which they came to support and act on behalf of – truly is,” the minister said.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/greta-thunberg-detained-ordered-to-be-shown-oct-7-footage-after-gaza-bound-flotilla-seized/

Oh, the cruelty! Oh, the martyrs!

[Exp]

13. 8 Recs to 1 at this time. Whose side are you on?

[Beastly Boy]

16. You've got to be kidding.

Is this a friggin popularity contest to you?

[Exp]

20. This is a matter of right and wrong. Too bad you can't see that. Some people are blinded by hate.

[Beastly Boy]

24. So why turn it int o a popularity contest?

Counting recs is by definition of a popularity contest. It doesn't address right or wrong.

[Exp]

25. It proves that your ideas are not popular by 8 fold.

[Beastly Boy]

28. There is a hell of difference before popular and right.

Sorry you can't get past it.

[Exp]

29. Hmm, then you think that the majority of people responding to your post are wrong. You are very enlightened.

[Exp]

12. This.

[BidenRocks]

3. This is a third rail topic.

The wrong response is doom.
I'll pass.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. This apparently started while the boat was in international waters

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories, tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the yacht ran into three incidents on its way to Gaza.

Albanese says she was in contact with the vessel during its journey, and says it was scheduled to reach Gaza at some point today.

But communications were jammed when the yacht still in international waters, she says.

"First they were surrounded by speedboats," she says. "This was the first time I heard their stress."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt?post=asset%3A7efacf03-5831-4632-8e36-943a227ea4e0#post

Among the crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament.

“The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am,” Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing lifejackets, with their hands in the air.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/gaza-aid-boat-madleen-israel-greta-thunberg-freedom-flotilla-coalition

[Beastly Boy]

8. According to who?

Oh, Greta Thunberg. She also claimed she was kidnapped, in a message that was pre-recorded even before she posed for the camera wearing a life jacket.

Activists pre-recorded videos in case yacht was intercepted

Those onboard the Madleen had pre-recorded videos in the event they did not make it to Gaza.

All of the videos follow a similar script.

In her message, climate activist Greta Thunberg said if people could see the video it meant that she had been "intercepted and kidnapped" by "forces that support Israel".

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt?post=asset%3A7efacf03-5831-4632-8e36-943a227ea4e0

A totally factual, reliable and unbiased source. And the only one making up these claims.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. According to the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories

as I said. Also according to the tracking site for the boat: https://freedomflotilla.org/ffc-tracker/ (stopped about 200km west of Gaza, roughly north of the Suez Canal).

[Beastly Boy]

14. "But communications were jammed when the yacht still in international waters, she says."

Nothing about boarding the ship, according to Francesca Albanese, the notorious overtly antisemitic UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories.

And the tracking cite for the boat doesn't indicate the location of boarding. It shows its location north of Egypt as of 10:19 today. Obviously inaccurate - we all know it was taken to Ashdod, Israel hours earlier.

So other than Greta's pre-recorded message, there is no confirmation. Duly noted.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. It shows the last location, before the boarding

The timing is clear - it last moved about midnight UK time as I see it on that site (you see "10:19", which is EDT). Which is 2:00 local time, roughly the time they reported they were stopped by the Israeli military.

Unsurprisingly, someone has switched off the tracker (which itself is not a problem) - it's the kidnapping in international waters that has, for instance, Amnesty International saying this "flouts international law".

[Beastly Boy]

21. According to whom?

Looking at the site right now, it shows current time of 10:58 EDT, and the location of the tracked vessel unchanged since 10:12, the time of my last post. Both times correspond to roughly 2:00 to 3:00 PM local time, way after the vessel was boarded and taken to Ashdod.

You are welcome to speculate about the nefarious reasons for this, but this is no evidence to support your claims.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Go to the site, and reset the time slider to about 16 hours before now

You'll see that what I said was accurate - movement up till about midnight my time (GMT+1), then it's stationary. So it's clear the last movement was around then. So - "according to everyone".

By the way, 10:58 EDT is 1758 local time (both Cairo and Gaza) (GMT+3, compared to GMT-4).

[AloeVera]

5. Israel has the right to defend itself from baby food and diapers.

N/T

[Beastly Boy]

6. Mission accomplished.

Lots of shit stirred, much publicity gained, Francesca Albanese got to Jew hate again and Greta gets to wear a keffiyeh.

Not a single Gazan fed.

What better outcomes could one expect from a humanitarian mission?

[Exp]

11. It was halted by the Fuckers. That is why food and aid did not get through.

[Beastly Boy]

15. It was never intended to get through. The whole enterprise was meant to be "symbolic" from the beginning

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says the ship is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula. Israel says the boat includes "less than a single truckload of aid."

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt?page=2

Everyone knew they would be stopped. It was a publicity stunt, from start to finish. The selfie flotilla.

[Exp]

18. It wasn't a freighter! Still had rice and formula aboard. So why stop the boat then?

IDF = ISRAELI DUMB FUCKS

[Beastly Boy]

23. According to the organizers, it was a a publicity stunt, not a bona fide delivery of aid.

It was "symbolic".

I once symbolically adopted an elephant online. Cost me 16 bucks. I symbolically fed the animal, symbolically cared for it, symbolically picked up his shit. I had no fucking clue where my sixteen bucks ended up, what actually happened to that animal, nor was I expected to give a shit.

But it made me feel so good about myself, never mind the animal! Oh, and I got to wear a t-shirt telling everyone what a wonderful person I am.

But after a while, the ego trip lost its initial appeal. Even my self-congratulatory t-shirt didn't solicit the praises I expected.

[Exp]

10. FUCKERS!! The citizens of the U.S. must demand that we STOP supporting the IDF! This is and has always been

GENOCIDE. Never forget!

[Beastly Boy]

19. Setting all comments regarding IDF's carnal dexterity aside,

what does this have to do with the selfie flotilla?

[Rob H.]

26. It's long past time for economic sanctions and an arms embargo

It's what we do to other terrorist states, after all.

[LexVegas]

27. Hamas supported propaganda photo op. nt