Freedom Flotilla Coalition accuses Israel of ‘forcibly intercepting’ the Madleen
In a statement just released, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has accused Israel of “forcibly intercepting” the Madleen and acting with “total impunity”.
It says that at 3.02am CET, the ship was “unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated.”
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said Huwaida Arraf, a Freedom Flotilla organiser.
These volunteers 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.”
Key events
Sam Jones
Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s labour minister and one of the country’s three deputy prime ministers, has criticised Israel’s seizure of the boat and called for a “clear and firm response” from the EU.
“I strongly condemn the seizure of the Madleen, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza,” she wrote on Bluesky. “This violation of international law demands a clear and firm response from the EU. All my solidarity to the volunteers who are being held. We call for their freeing as soon as possible. #AllEyesOnMadleen“
Spain’s socialist-led government has been one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza.
Last month, Israel said it had summoned the Spanish ambassador for a formal reprimand after the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, described Israel as a “genocidal state”.
Sánchez made the remarks during an exchange in the Spanish parliament in which his government was accused of continuing to trade with Israel. “I want to clarify one thing,” the prime minister said. “We don’t trade with a genocidal state. We don’t.”
The prime minister has previously expressed “genuine doubts” about whether Israel was complying with international humanitarian law in its offensive in Gaza, while Díaz has said “the genocide of the Palestinian people cannot go unpunished”.
Sam Jones
Spain’s foreign ministry has summoned an Israeli diplomat to a meeting today in protest at the seizing of the Madleen, according to El País. A Spanish citizen, Sergio Toribio, is among the activists on the boat.
“The foreign ministry is in contact with the Spaniard in question, with his family and with the Israeli foreign ministry, and is exercising consular protection with regard to our citizen,” foreign ministry sources told the paper.
A pre-recorded video posted on social media shows Toribio holding up his Spanish passport and saying: “My name is Segio Toribio from Spain. If you are seeing this video, we have been intercepted at sea and I have been kidnapped by Israeli occupation forces, or forces of a country complicit in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
I appeal to all my comrades, friends and family to put pressure on the Spanish government to demand my release as soon as possible.”
Emma Graham-Harrison
Our correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem has this report on the seizure of the Madleen
Israel’s military took control of a boat trying to deliver food to Palestinians in Gaza in the early hours of Monday morning, and brought its crew of activists including Greta Thunberg to an Israeli port.
The Madleen was making a symbolic attempt to break to the blockade of Gaza and raise awareness of a looming “starvation crisis”.
It was never likely to get through Israel’s naval blockade of the territory, where UN-backed experts have warned of looming famine, and dozens of people have been killed by Israeli forces trying to reach food distribution centres.
Even attempting to reach Gaza by boat is risky. In May, another boat sailing as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group that organised the Madleen’s voyage, caught fire off Malta and issued an SOS after what the group said was an attack by Israeli drones. Israel’s military declined to comment.
Read the full story here
Turkey accuses Israel of acting ‘as a terror state’
Turkey has also condemned Israel’s seizure of the Madleen and accused Israel of acting “as a terror state”.
Turkish activists Suayb Ordu is among the 12-strong crew. The Turkish foreign ministry called the move a “clear violation of international law”.
It said the intervention threatened maritime security and “once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state.”
Iran calls interception of the Madleen ‘an act of piracy’
Iran has condemned Israel’s interception of the Madleen, the Gaza-bound aid vessel, describing it as an act of piracy, according to Agence France-Presse.
“The assault on this flotilla – since it happened in international waters – is considered a form of piracy under international law,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press briefing in Tehran on Monday.
Israeli fire killed at least 12 people and wounded others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and US-backed group, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said on Sunday. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of Palestinians — desperate after 20 months of war — are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials.
Associated Press reported that, in total, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory’s health ministry said. Israel’s military said it struck dozens of militant targets throughout Gaza over the past day.
Eleven of the latest bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces fired on some at a roundabout around a kilometre from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, in nearby Rafah.
Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at approaching “suspects” who ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting happened in an area that is considered an active combat zone at night.
Al-Awda Hospital said it received the body of a man and 29 people who were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point in central Gaza.
A GHF official said there was no violence in or around its distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with Israel’s military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Summary
It’s 9am in Israel where activists on board a Gaza-bound aid ship have reportedly been transferred to an Israeli port after they were intercepted at sea by the country’s navy. Here’s the latest:
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Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen after it tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, and detained its crew of 12 including activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan. The British-flagged ship, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
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The FFC said the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore. In a post online, the organisation said the ship was “unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated.”
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The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the Madleen was under Israeli control and “making its way to the shores of Israel,” adding that its passengers are “expected to return to their home countries.” Referring to the aid-vessel as a “selfie yacht”, the ministry said all passengers were safe and unharmed and that the aid on board “will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”
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A social media account belonging to MEP Rima Hassan – who was on board the vessel – said “the crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am.” A picture posted on the account showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing lifejackets, with their hands in the air.
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Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, congratulated the Israeli army on the “quick and safe takeover” of the Madleen and confirmed the passengers on board would be transported to the port of Ashdod. Katz added that he had instructed the IDF to “show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre.”
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Earlier on Sunday, Katz ordered the military to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Katz said that the blockade was essential to Israel’s national security as it seeks to destroy Hamas.
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The United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said she had been in touch with the Madleen before communication had been lost. “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza,” she wrote on X.
Palestinian rights organisation Al-Haq has called for the “safe passage and protection of the crew of The Madleen, a ship of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and to ensure a humanitarian corridor to Gaza.”
Detained activists must be released & protected now. Let the #Madleen sail to Gaza.”
If you’re just joining us, Israeli forces have taken command of a vessel that tried to challenge its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, with the boat and its crew of 12 including activist Greta Thunberg now heading to a port in Israel, officials said on Sunday.
The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
However, the boat was boarded in the early hours of Monday before it could reach shore, the FFC said on its Telegram account. The Israeli foreign ministry later confirmed that it was under Israeli control.
You can read our full report here:
The Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs has called on the crew of the Madleen to be protected.
In a post on X, the ministry – based in the West Bank – said it “appreciates their efforts and the extreme hardships and dangers they endured at sea in pursuit of this noble humanitarian goal of standing by our people in the Gaza Strip.”
The Ministry calls on the international community and all countries to heed the call of international activists and their humanitarian message.
الخارجية تثمن جهود المتضامنين الدوليين على سفينة كسر الحصار وتطالب بحمايتهم
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciates the efforts of international activists aboard the Freedom #Flotilla and calls for their protection. pic.twitter.com/liKPNcjJWD
— State of Palestine – MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) June 8, 2025
Israel’s defence minister says Madleen passengers will be shown video of 7 October attacks
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has congratulated the Israeli army on the “quick and safe takeover” of the Madleen , the Gaza-bound aid vessel.
Confirming that the passengers onboard – including climate activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan – will be transported to the port of Ashdod, Katz added that he had instructed the IDF to “show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre.”
Referring to Thunberg personally, as well as the other activists on board, Katz said he wanted them to “see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organization they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself.”
The current war in Gaza began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 that killed more than 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally.
Gaza’s health ministry says over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of that campaign.
Who is Greta Thunberg?
Greta Thunberg, 22, became the face of youth climate activism as her weekly protests, which started in 2018 in front of the Swedish parliament, quickly grew into a global movement with large rallies across continents.
She is a vocal campaigner against the war in Gaza.
She had been due to board a previous Freedom Flotilla ship last month. That attempt to reach Gaza by sea in early May failed after another of the group’s vessels, the Conscience, was allegedly attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off the coast of Malta.
Before the Madleen departed, Thunberg said “We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying.”
Last month another aid ship operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
At the time, the FFC said “armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull.”
Greta Thunberg – who was on Sunday’s intercepted aid vessel – told Reuters she had been supposed to board the ship last month.
“I was part of the group who was supposed to board that boat today to continue the voyage towards Gaza, which is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza,” she said. “This attack caused an explosion and major damage to the vessel, which made it impossible to continue the mission.”
Here is a bit of background on the aid situation in Gaza, via AFP:
Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, after a more than two-month total blockade led to widespread shortages of food and basic supplies.
It has recently started working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to distribute aid via a handful of centres in south and central Gaza.
But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. It said Israeli attacks killed at least 10 people on Sunday, including five civilians hit by gunfire near an aid distribution centre.
In a Guardian report from Sunday, Israel’s military said it had fired warning shots at people who had approached its forces. It acknowledged reports of injuries but did not specify how many people it believed had been affected.
Summary
It’s 6.40am in Israel where activists on board a Gaza-bound aid ship have reportedly been transferred to an Israeli port after they were intercepted at sea by the country’s navy. Here’s the latest:
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Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen after it tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, and detained its crew of 12 including activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan. The British-flagged ship, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
-
The FFC said the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore. In a post online, the organisation said the ship was “unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated.”
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The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the Madleen was under Israeli control and “making its way to the shores of Israel,” adding that its passengers are “expected to return to their home countries.” Referring to the aid-vessel as a “selfie yacht”, the ministry said all passengers were safe and unharmed and that the aid on board “will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”
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Earlier on Sunday, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. Katz said that the blockade was essential to Israel’s national security as it seeks to destroy Hamas.
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The United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said she had been in touch with the Madleen before communication had been lost. “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza,” she wrote on X.