Greta Thunberg’s Gaza-Bound Vessel Intercepted by Israeli Navy

The Israeli Navy on Monday intercepted a British-flagged yacht carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 other pro-Palestinian figures as it attempted to breach Israel’s legal maritime blockade of Gaza. The vessel, dubbed the “selfie yacht” by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, was stopped in international waters and towed to Ashdod.

The activists were safely transferred to Israeli custody, offered food and water, and are being returned to their home countries. “The show is over,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement, dismissing the voyage as a publicity stunt and emphasizing the negligible amount of aid on board less than a single truckload.

Thunberg, wearing a keffiyeh in a released video, accused Israel of “kidnapping” the group. In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered a 43-minute film of Hamas’s October 7 atrocities to be screened for the activists upon arrival. “Greta the antisemite and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly who Hamas is and what they did,” he stated.

The intercepted yacht, Madleen, was organized by the radical Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The group claimed it sought to deliver humanitarian aid, but Israel highlighted that over 1,200 aid trucks have legally entered Gaza in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, the Trump-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has successfully delivered nearly 11 million meals to civilians using secure and vetted channels.

Critics from CAIR and the Iranian regime called the interception “piracy,” but Israel reiterated that its naval blockade is fully in line with international law. The Gaza maritime zone is a known conflict area exploited by Hamas to carry out terror attacks including the October 7 massacre, in which 1,200 people were murdered and 251 hostages taken.

The Foreign Ministry further noted, “There are legitimate ways to deliver aid. This wasn’t it. This was a media stunt with little humanitarian value and high propaganda value.”

With 56 hostages still held by Hamas including IDF Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body has been in Gaza since 2014 Israel continues to prioritize both security and humanitarian aid, rejecting efforts that blur the line between activism and provocation.

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