2LT International News

WEST JERUSALEM, Israel: Israeli forces stopped a boat heading to Gaza and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists on board early on June 9.

The boat was trying to break Israel’s long-running blockade of Gaza, which has become even stricter during the current war with Hamas.

The activists wanted to protest against Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has caused massive destruction and loss of life. They also wanted to highlight the severe shortage of humanitarian aid in the region, where two million Palestinians face the risk of famine.

The group organizing the trip, called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, said the Israeli military “kidnapped” the activists while they were trying to deliver urgently needed aid. They claimed that the boat was illegally boarded, the unarmed crew taken, and the supplies—such as baby formula, food, and medical equipment—seized.

Israel’s foreign ministry called the trip a publicity stunt. On social media, it referred to the boat as a “selfie yacht” full of “celebrities” and said it was safely on its way to an Israeli port. The ministry said the activists would be sent back to their home countries, and the aid would be delivered to Gaza through official routes. Later, Israel shared video clips showing soldiers giving food and water to the detained activists.

Greta Thunberg, the well-known climate activist, was among 12 people on board the boat named Madleen. It had left Sicily a week earlier and even rescued four migrants on the way who had jumped into the sea to escape the Libyan coast guard.

In a recorded message before the boat was stopped, Thunberg asked her supporters to pressure the Swedish government to get her and the others released.

Also on board was Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament with Palestinian roots. She is banned from entering Israel because of her criticism of Israeli policies.

Israel had completely blocked aid to Gaza for two and a half months to pressure Hamas but started allowing limited aid last month. Aid groups warn that this is not enough to stop famine unless more aid is allowed and the fighting stops.

Last month, another boat from the Freedom Flotilla group failed to reach Gaza after it was attacked by drones in international waters near Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front of the ship.

Israel and Egypt have kept various forms of blockade on Gaza since Hamas took power in 2007. Israel says this is to stop Hamas from getting weapons, but critics say it unfairly punishes ordinary Palestinians.

After Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, Israel shut Gaza off completely. Some aid has been allowed in since then, but imports were again blocked in March when a ceasefire ended. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, though many are believed to have died.

Since the war began, over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says most of the dead are women and children. It does not say how many were civilians or fighters.

Much of Gaza has been destroyed, and 90 percent of its people have been forced to leave their homes. They now depend almost entirely on aid.

Peace talks have made little progress. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and Israel to withdraw in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages. But Israel insists it will keep fighting until all hostages are freed and Hamas is defeated.