A ship carrying humanitarian supplies to be delivered by Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg to the Gaza Strip was blocked by the Israeli military. Previously, Thunberg announced on the 1st that she would personally deliver supplies to the Gaza Strip, departing from Sicily, Italy, on the ship Madeleine.
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international non-governmental organization (NGO), at around 2:50 a.m. local time on the 8th, the Israeli navy halted the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's sailing vessel Madeleine, which had approached the waters near the Gaza Strip.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported, "The Madeleine is under attack in international waters," adding, "The ship is surrounded by quadcopters and communication is being disrupted." The Coalition stated that the Israeli military kidnapped the activists on board the vessel.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry explained that it had blocked the sailing vessel Madeleine, which was heading toward the Gaza Strip, saying, "The show is over." It added, "The ship carrying celebrities is safely operating off the coast of Israel," and indicated that "the passengers will return to their respective home countries."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry noted that the amount of humanitarian supplies carried by the Madeleine does not even reach the capacity of one truck, stating that the supplies would be delivered to the Gaza Strip via the existing route. Photos and videos released by the ministry showed Thunberg and other activists receiving bread and water from the Israeli military.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed the 12 activists, including Thunberg, aboard the Madeleine to watch a video showing the scenes from the surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
Minister Gallant said on X (formerly Twitter), "Anti-Semite Greta and her colleague, Hamas supporters, need to understand the atrocities committed by the Hamas terrorist organization against women, the elderly, and children, and whom Israel is fighting to protect."
This 43-minute video produced by the Israeli military's spokesperson office was filmed by body cameras worn by Hamas members. The Times of Israel reported that scenes of murder and mutilation were presented without censorship.