(NewsNation) — Israeli forces said Monday they seized a Gaza-bound aid boat and several people who were on board.
On the Madleen, a group of activists had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The boat’s seizure was the result of a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war.
What is the Madleen, and which organizations are involved?
The Madleen is a boat used by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which set out on a weeklong voyage from Sicily to protest Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The coalition is composed of campaigns and initiatives from different parts of the world with a goal of ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Several of its founding groups include the Free Gaza Movement, European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza, and İHH İnsani Yardım Vakfı.
Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate campaigner, was one of the 12 detained activists on board the Madleen.
Along with Thunberg were Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, and Brazil’s Thiago Ávila. Hassan had been previously barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
The boat had stopped last week to rescue four migrants who had jumped overboard to avoid being detained by the Libyan coast guard.
Activists aboard Madleen detained, to be returned home
All 12 activists who were aboard the Madleen were detained by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Reports from Israeli media indicated the Madleen and its crew members were being taken to the port city of Ashdod.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said all the activists would be returned to their home countries without harm. Officials said the humanitarian aid on the boat would be sent to Gaza through established channels.
Israel deported Thunberg on Tuesday, the country’s Foreign Ministry said.
Thunberg left on a flight to France and was then headed to her home country of Sweden, the Foreign Ministry said in a post on the social platform X.
Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, said Thunberg, two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel. The other eight activists refused deportation, were being held in detention and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities, Adalah said.
What is the potential aftermath of the IDF stopping the Madleen?
Spain and Turkey officials condemned Israel for the seizure of the Madleen.
“This heinous act by the Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition last month attempted to reach Gaza by sea but failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, including the damage caused to the front section of the ship.
Israel began to allow basic aid into Gaza last month after a nearly three-month blockade. Humanitarian workers and experts had warned of famine if the blockade and its military offensive continued.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.