The 22-year-old Swedish activist was sailing with a group of 11 other campaigners aboard a vessel named Madleen. Their goal was to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza and draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, as they explained last Sunday (June 1).
The British-flagged boat, which is operated by Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), had departed the same day from Sicily. However, reports say it was intercepted by Israeli forces while sailing through international waters.
“Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And, no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the livestreamed genocide.”
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have strongly denied accusations of genocide and have rejected any such claims.
“If you see this video we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces – or forces that support Israel.”
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
The boat was reportedly carrying relief supplies for Palestinians, including food such as rice and baby formula, according to Newsweek.
Following the interception, Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that the Madleen was now ‘safely making its way to the shores of Israel’ and that the individuals onboard were ‘expected to return to their home countries’.
Additionally, in a post on their Twitter page, the Israeli foreign ministry commented (via BBC): “While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity – and which included less than a single truckload of aid – more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.”
“The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”