DUBAI: The Israeli military has intercepted the vessel Madleen, carrying pro-Palestinian activists, including Swedish environmental campaign...
DUBAI: The Israeli military has intercepted the vessel Madleen, carrying pro-Palestinian activists, including Swedish environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV channel reported.
According to the outlet, the Madleen was "intercepted in international waters by the Israeli military." All passengers were ordered to turn off their cell phones, after which communication with both the crew and passengers was lost.
Thunberg has accused the Israeli government of kidnapping her in a video published by The Freedom Flotilla Coalition on X.
"If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible," Thunberg said in a video message recorded on board the Madleen ship.
In a statement on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the vessel is en route to the country's coast and that the activists on board are expected to return to their home countries.
"The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry said.
Earlier reports indicated that quadcopters had surrounded the Madleen in international waters and sprayed it with an unknown substance. The Israeli Foreign Ministry previously stated that the country’s Navy had contacted the vessel and requested it to change course. The ministry also alleged that those on board were seeking to "draw media attention" rather than deliver genuine humanitarian aid to Gaza.
On June 8, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to take all necessary steps to prevent the ship from reaching Gaza's coast.
The Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla coalition, departed from Sicily on June 1 carrying humanitarian supplies for Gaza, including baby food, diapers, flour, rice, water filters, hygiene products, and medical equipment, according to The Jerusalem Post.
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