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All we know as Greta Thunberg 'kidnapped' after Israel intercepts aid flotilla
The 22-year-old activist took to social media to state she was 'kidnapped' after the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said the Madleen vessel was intercepted early today
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Greta Thunberg's Gaza aid vessel has been stopped before landing in Israel, with the activist claiming she was "kidnapped" and calling on the Swedish government to help.
The 22-year-old's Madleen aid flotilla, which was en route to Gaza, had been travelling for several days after departing Sicily on Friday. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the organisation responsible for the yacht, said it was carrying humanitarian aid and said the vessel, which departed Italy on Friday, was "prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack" before claiming it was "forcibly intercepted" by Israeli officials.
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Israeli authorities stopped the vessel around 160 nautical miles before it reached the Gaza coast, with defence minister Israel Katz saying the state would "act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organisations".
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READ MORE:Madleen aid boat LIVE: Israel forces stop Gaza-bound vessel and detain activist Greta ThunbergIsraeli authorities intercepted the Madleen early in the morning at around 5.30am local time as it wound near the Egyptian coast, it has been reported, with the FFC raising the alarm via Telegram.
Posting a picture of the crew wearing life jackets and sitting with their arms raised, the group said: "SOS! The volunteers on Madleen have been kidnapped by Israeli forces."
Article continues belowMs Thunberg has claimed she and her fellow crewmembers were "kidnapped" when they were intercepted at the coast trying to cross an Israeli blockade. The group of 12 had recorded videos ahead of time for their loved ones that would be released in the event something to happened to them.
Ms Thunberg said in hers that the team was "intercepted and kidnapped in international waters" by "forces that support Israel" and urged her loved ones to "put pressure on the Swedish government" for a response.
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She said: "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."
Israel has denied this, saying in a post on X that activists aboard the boat were "unharmed" and were now making their way to Israel "safely".
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Israel Katz, Israel's Minister of Defence, has vocally responded to the situation with the boat via social media, in one post saying he instructed the IDF to prevent the boat landing on Gaza, claiming it was a "hate flotilla".
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), of which the Madleen is part, is a grassroots activist organisation that is working to reach Palestinians through what it claims is a 17-year blockade that is causing an "ongoing humanitarian crisis".
He said: "I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act to prevent the 'Madeleine' [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza - and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end." He then spoke directly to the crew, members of whom he sensationally claimed were "antisemitic".
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He said: "To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back - because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organisations ā at sea, in the air, and on land."
Palestinian authorities have also stepped into the discourse, with West Bank officials calling for activists on board the Madleen to be protected.
The Palestinian defence ministry called the activists' actions "noble" and said, also in a post on X, that it "salutes the international solidarity activists aboard the ship attempting to break the siege on the Gaza Strip".
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The incident has also captured the attention of the United Nations, with the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories urging boats to continue challenging the blockade.
Francesca Albanese said: "While Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together - united, they will be unstoppable."
Article continues belowMs Albanese also reached out to the British government, asking ministers to "urgently seek full clarification" and "secure the immediate release of the vessel and its crew".
