Israel stops aid ship attempting to reach Gaza

The passengers of humanitarian aid boat Madleen are currently at the Ben Gurion International Airport before being deported from Israel to their home countries, the country's Foreign Ministry said.

Passengers, who include Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, were met by their countries' consuls at the airport, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

"Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation," the ministry said, adding that some of the passengers were expected to leave within the next few hours.

A ship carrying humanitarian aid bound for Gaza that was crewed by Greta Thunberg and other activists arrived at the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday night, under escort after it said it was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters.

Other activists, along with Thunberg, were detained as Israel continues to enforce a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed the boat, the Madleen, had been taken to Ashdod and published a photo of Thunberg on social media after disembarking from the boat. The 12 activists are undergoing medical checks to ensure that they are in good health, the ministry added.

They were expected to be held at a detention facility in the Israeli city of Ramle before being deported, according to Adalah, a legal rights group representing the activists.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage, previously said the activists were "kidnapped by Israeli forces" in international waters while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the activists would return to their home countries and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels. 

At least 12 Palestinians were killed and others wounded on Sunday as Israeli forces opened fire near two aid distribution points in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials and witnesses.

Witnesses said Israeli troops fired on crowds approaching food hubs run by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

Israel's military said it fired warning shots at approaching "suspects" who ignored warnings to turn away, in an area that is considered an active combat zone at night.

The shootings occurred around 6 a.m. (0300 UTC/GMT) near Rafah and central Gaza, as desperate residents gathered for aid.

Adham Dahman, one of the injured witnesses, said a tank fired toward them. "We didn't know how to escape," he said. "This is a trap for us, not aid."

A GHF official said all three distribution sites operated on Sunday without any incidents of violence in or around the area.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has confirmed that the Madleen, a ship carrying humanitarian aid that was bound for Gaza, has been intercepted by Israeli forces.

In a statement, the group said its vessel was "attacked/forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military … in international waters."

"The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated," the FFC said.

Israel has "no legal authority to detain" the volunteers aboard the Madleen, human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer, Huwaida Arraf, said.

Arraf added that the seizure is a violation of international law and goes against the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) "binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza."

The statement said Israel does not have the legal right to detain the volunteers, who are "not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade."

"Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” Arraf said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry has said that the Madleen, a ship carrying humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip, has been intercepted and is "safely making its way to the shores of Israel."

The passengers, who include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, among others, are expected to return to their home countries, the ministry said on X.

"While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks," the ministry said.

"The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," the statement added.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the organization that launched the Madleen, has accused Israeli authorities of "kidnapping" the people on board. 

In a series of posts on Telegram, the group also said the ship had come "under assault in international waters" and that Israeli forces had sprayed the vessel with a "white irritant substance" before "illegally" boarding the ship.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, responsible for the Madleen boat carrying aid for Gaza, said it was "under assault in international waters" as it approached the besieged Palestinian enclave in the early hours of Monday.

"Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white irritant substance," the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on its Telegram channel. 

"Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio."

The group then said the Israeli army had "boarded the vessel."

Israel's Foreign Ministry said the Israeli Navy was communicating with the aid ship, calling it the "selfie yacht."

"Using an international civilian communication system, the Israeli Navy has instructed the "selfie yacht" to change its course due to its approach toward a restricted area," the ministry said on X.

The post included a video purportedly showing an Israeli official announcing the following message: "The maritime zone of the coast of Gaza is closed to naval traffic. It's part of the… naval blockade. If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you're able to do so through the port of Ashdod via the established channels…"

A ship carrying humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip is approaching the Palestinian enclave, which is under an Israeli blockade.

In addition to supplies, the British-flagged Madleen is carrying climate advocate Greta Thunberg and several other activists.

As it neared Gaza early on Monday morning, the occupants aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's ship said it was coming "under assault" from Israeli forces and was surrounded by quadcopters.

Israel's Navy has said it has told the aid ship to change course.

On Sunday, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said that he had instructed the military to stop the ship from reaching Gaza, warning "the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting friends" to turn back.

We'll bring you the latest developments on the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East region on Monday, June 9, 2025.