Israeli Military Denies Landing in Gaza Strip
"Humanitarian Aid Will Be Delivered... Passengers to Be Returned to Their Home Countries"
Swedish climate and environmental activist Greta Thunberg and others attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestine by ship, but were blocked by the Israeli military as they approached the Gaza Strip.
On the 1st, Greta Thunberg was talking with reporters in Catania, Sicily, Italy. Photo by EPA and Yonhap News
According to AP and other sources on June 8 (local time), the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced via social media that it had intercepted the sailing vessel Madeleine at sea as it was heading toward the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The 'selfie yacht' carrying celebrities is being safely escorted to the Israeli coast," and added, "The passengers will be returned to their respective home countries."
The ministry also commented, "There are many ways to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, but taking selfies for Instagram is not one of them," and said that the aid supplies carried by the Madeleine would be delivered through existing channels. The ministry used the term "selfie" to mock the activists on board the Madeleine for sharing their activities on Instagram.
Previously, the Madeleine, with Thunberg and others on board, departed from Sicily, Italy, on June 1, declaring its intention to deliver aid directly to the Gaza Strip. The ship was carrying 12 activists of German, French, Brazilian, Turkish, Swedish, Spanish, and Dutch nationality. It was also loaded with humanitarian supplies, including infant formula, food, diapers, sanitary pads, and medical supplies. The Madeleine planned to enter Gaza's territorial waters on the evening of June 8, after passing by the coast of Alexandria, Egypt.
On June 1, 2025, climate activist Greta Thunberg (center in the photo) is seen standing next to the Palestinian flag hanging on the Madeleine, a ship belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Photo by AP and Yonhap News
However, Israel, which is maintaining a blockade of the Gaza Strip, made it clear that it would not allow the Madeleine to land in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on June 7, "I have instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take measures to prevent the Madeleine from reaching the Gaza Strip," and added, "Israel will not permit any attempt to break the maritime blockade of Gaza." He further explained that the blockade is unavoidable in order to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas.
In response, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the NGO leading this voyage, stated that it had also planned to deliver aid to Gaza by sea last month, but failed after being attacked by a drone in waters near Malta. At that time, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition identified Israel as being behind the attack.
Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg, born in 2003, first gained attention as a youth environmental activist in 2018 when she began a solo protest in front of the Swedish parliament calling for action on climate change. In 2019, she became the youngest-ever "Person of the Year" selected by the American news magazine Time, and was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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