Greta Thunberg’s Freedom Flotilla To Gaza Seized
Written by djfrosty on June 9, 2025
On Sunday (June 9), the Madleen was captured by Israeli naval forces as it was approaching the Gaza Strip. The ship, organized by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in conjunction with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was carrying aid supplies to Palestinian people in Gaza. In a post to Instagram, Thunberg issued a plea to the world. “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.”
In a post made on X, formerly Twitter, Israel’s Defence Ministry stated that they had seized the boat, writing: “The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries.” They went on to accuse the Thunberg and other passengers, which included French-Palestinian European Parliament minister Rima Hassan along with five others from that country of attempting “to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity.”
According to The Guardian, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that he instructed the IDF to “show the flotilla passengers the video of the horrors of the October 7 massacre.” In March, Israel ended a ceasefire that was in place from earlier in the year, blocking all imports and aid. The conflict, which began after a terror attack by the Hamas organization on a festival on Oct. 7, 2023, has displaced 90% of the Palestinian population with over 54,000 believed to have been killed in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Two hundred and fifty-one Israeli hostages were captured during the attack, and to date 148 had been returned alive with 55 still believed to be held hostage by Hamas.
“The ministry of foreign affairs and the ambassador in Tel Aviv are in contact with local authorities and monitoring the situation closely,” a spokesperson for the Swedish government said on Monday (June 10). A representative for the French government who asked not to be named said that President Emmanuel Macron requested that the French nationals onboard the Maldeen “be allowed to return to France as soon as possible.”
The situation underscores the dire need for aid in the region, with a new plan backed by the United States in place, but difficulties in delivery are still presenting itself, according to CNN.