ShareJERUSALEM: Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a charity vessel carrying Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, which had tried to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip on Monday, and kidnapped the activists on board.
The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, hadaimed to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
"If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel," Thunberg, 22, said in a video released by the FCC, filmed before the vessel was captured.
"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."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the vessel was under Israeli control. "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 wrote on X.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament who was also on board, posted on X that the crew had been "kidnapped by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 am."
A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air.
The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Swedish foreign ministry said it was in contact with Israeli authorities.
"Should the need for consular support arise, the Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assess how we can best help the Swedish citizen/Greta Thunberg resolve her situation," a Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a written statement to Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron's office said the president has asked Israeli authorities to release the French nationals on board as soon as possible.
The French and Spanish foreign ministries said they had requested consular protection for their citizens aboard.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Hamas condemned the seizure of the boat as "state terrorism" and said it salutes its activists. - Reuters
