Israel seizes Gaza-bound aid boat in int'l waters, detains 12

Israel said on Monday it had intercepted a vessel carrying 12 activists attempting to breach its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and escorted it to the port of Ashdod, reported Xinhua.

The boat, Madleen, reached Ashdod, the largest port in Israel, after being seized by Israeli forces in international waters early Monday, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry. The activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and Brazilian human rights advocate Thiago Avila, are undergoing medical examinations and will be deported, the ministry said.

"The yacht docked at Ashdod Port a short while ago," the ministry wrote on the social media platform X, adding that the passengers were in good health. Photos released by the ministry showed Thunberg and Avila appearing fatigued but uninjured.

Adalah, an Israel-based legal rights organization representing the activists, said contact with the group was lost shortly after the vessel was intercepted around 3:00 a.m. local time. "Since then, contact with the activists was lost," it said in a statement.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the mission, accused Israel of acting unlawfully, saying the boat was "kidnapped" in international waters. The group said passengers were subjected to psychological pressure, including the use of a white irritant spray, communication jamming, and disruptive noise transmissions via radio.

The vessel was reportedly carrying humanitarian cargo, including food and medical supplies, intended for Gaza.

Monday's incident comes roughly a month after another flotilla vessel, Conscience, was damaged in an alleged drone strike in international waters near Malta.

Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas took control of the enclave. The restrictions were further tightened following Hamas's deadly cross-border assault into southern Israel in October 2023.

The war, now in its 21st month, has devastated Gaza's infrastructure and pushed its 2.3 million residents into a deep humanitarian crisis. UN agencies warn of impending famine, with the entire population facing acute food insecurity.