EXPLAINER
The Madleen was stopped by Israel on its way to Gaza. What happens to Greta Thunberg, Rima Hassan and the other activists now?
Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen aid ship in the early hours of Monday morning as it approached the shores of Gaza in an effort to distribute badly needed aid to the Palestinian enclave’s starving population.
The ship has drawn international media attention since it set sail from Catania, Italy, about a week ago. As it neared the shores of Gaza, speculation was rife about how the Israelis would respond, considering their past actions in attacking aid ships sailing to provide supplies to the Strip.
Israel has killed at least 54,880 Palestinians and wounded 126,227 since its latest war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Here’s what you need to know about the Madleen, its crew and what happens next:
What happened?
Israeli drones encircled the Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition at about 3am local time (01:00 GMT). The drones began spraying it with a white, paint-like substance before the commandos eventually took hold of the ship. The nature of the sprayed substance remains unclear.
The Israeli soldiers ordered the 12 people on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, to throw their phones overboard. They then filmed a video, handing the crew members sandwiches and water bottles, and wrote on X that the “selfie yacht” had been stopped.
The ship was carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians starving in Gaza because of the strict siege enacted since March 2. The siege was lifted partially last month, but the aid distribution has since been calamitous, as Israeli soldiers have shot at Palestinians in line for the limited rations being distributed, with aid still not reaching a majority of people in Gaza.
Where was the Madleen intercepted?
The ship was about 100 nautical miles (185km) from Gaza when it was stopped by Israeli commandos.
It was in international waters at the time. Israel’s blockade of Gaza is deemed illegal by most international governments. Under international law, countries and their militaries hold sovereign rights over their territorial waters only, not international waters.
Who was on the ship?
There were 12 people on board, the most high-profile included Sweden’s Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament from France.
The others are:
- Yasemin Acar – Germany
- Baptiste Andre – France
- Thiago Avila – Brazil
- Omar Faiad – France; Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent
- Pascal Maurieras – France
- Yanis Mhamdi – France
- Suayb Ordu – Turkiye
- Sergio Toribio – Spain
- Marco van Rennes – The Netherlands
- Reva Viard – France
Where is everyone now?
Israeli media reported that the Madleen and its crew members were being taken to the port city of Ashdod. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X that it expected them to return to their home countries and used the opportunity to poke fun at Thunberg.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to screen a propaganda film made up of footage from the Hamas-led October 7 attacks to the crew of the Madleen.
“Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organisation – which they came to support and act on behalf of – truly is,” Katz wrote on X.
Have any other governments said anything?
Yes, a few.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Israeli charge d’affaires in Madrid, Dan Poraz, over the interception of the Madleen, according to Israeli media.
Turkiye condemned Israel’s refusal to allow the ship to dock in Gaza. It called Israeli actions “a clear violation of international law”.
“This heinous act by the Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There was no immediate response from the governments of Brazil, Germany, France or the Netherlands – the other countries with citizens on board the Madleen.
French lawmakers from the Leftist France Unbowed (LFI) party called Israel’s interception of the ship a “clear violation of international law”.
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