In a bold humanitarian move, climate activist Greta Thunberg and several other prominent figures were detained by the Israeli military after their vessel, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was intercepted en route to Gaza. The incident sparked global outcry and renewed scrutiny of Israel’s blockade of the war-torn enclave.
Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, positioned at the centre, prepares to board the Madleen vessel alongside fellow members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition before departing for Gaza from the port of Catania in Sicily, Italy, on Sunday, June 1, 2025. [Credit: AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli]
A Mission of Aid and Solidarity
The civilian ship Madleen, carrying vital humanitarian supplies such as baby formula, flour, medical items, and children’s prosthetics, departed from Sicily on June 1, aiming to break the blockade and bring relief to over 2 million Gazans suffering under Israel’s siege. Among the passengers were Greta Thunberg, French MEP Rima Hassan, and actor Liam Cunningham, all part of a symbolic mission meant to draw attention to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
“This mission is not even close to being as dangerous as the silence of the world in the face of genocide,” Thunberg said before boarding. At just 22, Greta Thunberg’s age hasn’t deterred her from taking on some of the world’s most powerful governments. The Madleen had even publicised its journey using a Madleen tracker, showing its deliberate and transparent intention to deliver aid peacefully.
Crew members aboard the “Madleen” are shown with their hands raised as Israeli forces board the vessel, in a photo released by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
The Interception
As the Madleen neared Gaza’s shores, Israeli forces reportedly boarded the ship in international waters. According to the FFC, drones surrounded the vessel, communications were jammed, and a white paint-like substance was sprayed across the deck. Activist Yasmin Acar reported eye irritation from the substance in a livestream.
Footage released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry later showed Thunberg and other passengers in orange life jackets being offered food and water. The ministry labelled the incident as “a media provocation” and described the Madleen as a “selfie yacht” carrying “celebrities.”
“The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,” read one official post. Yet, the Freedom Flotilla maintains that Israel kidnapped Greta Thunberg and the other volunteers, seizing both the people and their symbolic cargo.
All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. pic.twitter.com/tLZZYcspJO
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
Legal and Moral Controversy
International law experts have sharply criticised the Israeli action. “Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said human rights attorney Huwaida Arraf. “This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.”
Gaza Freedom Flotilla Greta Thunberg’s participation was intended to highlight the nearly two-decade blockade and what she has called the world’s indifference to suffering in Gaza. Hamas condemned the action, labelling it “a flagrant violation of international law” and demanded the immediate release of all detained activists.
A Pattern of Interception
This isn’t the first time the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has attempted to challenge Israel’s naval blockade. In 2010, the Mavi Marmara, another aid ship in a similar flotilla, was boarded by Israeli commandos, resulting in the deaths of nine activists. The FFC describes these missions as non-violent civil resistance aimed at forcing international attention.
Last month, another FFC ship, the Conscience, was reportedly attacked by drones in international waters off Malta. Although no one was hurt, the Greta Thunberg sailing to Gaza plan had to be delayed, only resuming with the Madleen‘s departure.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a grassroots movement formed in 2010 to oppose Israel’s blockade of Gaza, organised the voyage of the Madleen, named after Gaza’s first female fisherwoman, to raise awareness about food shortages in the region. The ship, which departed Italy on 1 June, carried a symbolic amount of aid such as rice and baby formula—described by Israel as less than a truckload. [Credit: Getty Images]
Israel’s Stance and Humanitarian Blockade
Israel imposed its blockade on Gaza in 2007, citing the need to prevent arms smuggling into the Hamas-controlled territory. However, humanitarian groups argue the blockade has created inhumane conditions for Gaza’s population, which the UN recently warned is at risk of famine.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz called the flotilla participants “propagandists for Hamas” and accused Greta Thunberg of antisemitism. “To Greta the antisemite and her friends… you won’t get to Gaza,” he said bluntly.
Israel claims to have transferred the aid seized from the Madleen ship through established humanitarian channels, but critics argue the current aid distribution system is broken and politically compromised. Aid convoys have been attacked, looted, or stopped by both Israeli forces and conflicting actors within Gaza.
Also Read: Greta Thunberg Sails to Gaza on Madleen as Israel Threatens to Block Freedom Flotilla
International Reaction
While the Israeli Foreign Ministry has tried to downplay the aid carried on the Madleen, calling it “less than a single truckload,” many believe the true impact of the voyage was symbolic. The flotilla’s presence, especially with someone as high-profile as Greta, underscores a growing global demand for accountability in Gaza.
“The moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity,” Thunberg said in a pre-recorded video released after communications with the Madleen were lost.
As the activists are expected to return to their home countries, global attention remains fixed on the situation. With the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Greta Thunberg story dominating headlines, questions of legality, morality, and responsibility remain at the centre of the international dialogue.
