The Israeli military on Thursday boarded and diverted several ships of a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The operation was carried out days after the Israeli navy had warned the civilian boats.
Climate Activist Spotted On Deck
The boats—named the Sirius, Alma, and Adara—were intercepted as part of the overall Global Sumud Flotilla trying to bring food and medicine into starving Gaza.
A video on X posted by the Israeli Foreign Ministry depicted Thunberg sitting on the deck of one of the ships with Israeli soldiers around her. The ministry had confirmed that the activists were being transferred safely to an Israeli port.
Already several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port.
Greta and her friends are safe and healthy. pic.twitter.com/PA1ezier9s
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 1, 2025
“Already, a number of ships from the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been successfully intercepted and their crews are being brought to an Israeli port. Greta and her peers are safe and sound,” the ministry stated on X.
Flotilla Organisers Claim “War Crime”
The flotilla, which consisted of over 40 civilian vessels, was intercepted after being requested to alter course for coming too close to an active combat area and breaking a legal blockade, the Israeli navy said.
But organisers of the flotilla were adamant in condemning the intervention, labeling the military’s action as an “illegal interception” and a “war crime.”
“Several ships. were illegally boarded and intercepted by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” the organizers explained. They also claimed that the military employed forceful tactics, including a water cannon, against occupants of the ships, although they said no one was physically injured.
Earlier, the activists had posted videos claiming they were “abducted” and being transported to Israel against their will. The flotilla was trying to break the Israeli blockade to bring much-needed supplies to the war-ravaged region.
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