Israel seizes Gaza aid flotilla, detains Greta Thunberg in high-seas showdown

Israel intercepted a flotilla of more than 40 civilian vessels attempting to deliver aid to Gaza on October 1, seizing ships in international waters and detaining high-profile passengers, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying around 500 people—among them parliamentarians, lawyers, and celebrities such as Thunberg and actor Susan Sarandon—had set sail from Barcelona a month ago with the stated aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Organisers said the convoy carried humanitarian supplies and sought to reach the territory by Thursday morning.

Instead, the ships were surrounded about 75 miles off Gaza’s coast by some 20 Israeli naval vessels. According to passengers, the operation began with the interception of the flagship Alma, on which Thunberg was sailing. Before being taken into custody at the Israeli port of Ashdod, Thunberg posted a video on Instagram declaring, “We are about to be intercepted by Israel.”

The Israeli foreign ministry later released a statement and video footage showing Thunberg alongside masked armed personnel, insisting that all passengers were “safe and healthy.”

Live streams from the flotilla went offline shortly after naval forces ordered engines cut and passengers donned lifejackets in anticipation of boarding.

Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the territory, arguing that the restrictions are necessary to prevent weapons smuggling. The policy was tightened in 2009, and every previous attempt to breach the blockade has been stopped.

The United Nations, however, has repeatedly condemned the blockade as a violation of international humanitarian law, warning that it has inflicted “collective punishment” on Gaza’s civilian population.

The latest interception is likely to intensify global debate around Israel’s control of Gaza’s access to the sea — now thrust back into the spotlight by the detention of one of the world’s most recognisable activists.