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The Israeli Navy has intercepted a ship carrying humanitarian aid and a number of activists including Greta Thunberg, Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament, and Game of Thrones star Liam Cunningham. .

The civilian ship known as the Madleen has been boarded by the IDF’s Naval unit Shayetet 13 without incident. This was reported by the ship’s Telegram account at around 3:00am Monday morning. The Medleen’s radio communications were jammed, and nothing has been heard form the ship since.

Activists reported being attacked by drones that sprayed a white irritant substance on the ship a few minutes before they were intercepted, The Jerusalem Post reported.. 

According to a separate Telegram post  by one of the flotilla participants, Yasmine Najer, alarms had been sounded on the ship at 1:17am Monday when there was concern the ship would be attacked. “We are very close to Gaza. The reason we activated the alarm is that four ships surrounded us and two approached to a distance of about 200 meters, this has not happened before. So that is why we sounded the alarm,” Najer posted.

The Israel foreign ministry advised those on board the Madleen have been detained by the IDF and will be taken to Israel where they will be deported to their home countries.

Prior to the interception the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, “With recent reports of a “celebrities yacht” heading to Gaza, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify the following:

“The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to unauthorized vessels under a legal naval blockade, consistent with international law. The yacht is claiming that it is delivering humanitarian aid. In fact, it is a media gimmick for publicity (which includes less than a single truckload of aid) – a “selfie yacht.”

“Humanitarian aid is delivered regularly and effectively via different channels and routes, and is transferred through established distribution mechanisms,” the Israeli foreign ministry said. “Over the past two weeks, more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.”

“The Gaza maritime zone remains an active conflict area, and Hamas has previously exploited sea routes for terrorist attacks, including the October 7th massacre. Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts.” 

“We call on all actors to act responsibly and to channel humanitarian aid through legitimate, coordinated mechanisms, not through provocation,” the foreign ministry statement said.

The detained passengers and crew were to be taken to Ashdod Port where they were to be supplied with water and sandwiches. They were also to be shown footage of the October 7 2023 attacks.

“It is appropriate that antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who this terrorist organization they came to support and whom they are working for is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself,” Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz said in a statement Monday.

The Israeli military warned on Sunday the Maldeen would be prevented from reaching Gaza.

“To Greta the antisemite and her friends, propagandists for Hamas, I say clearly: You would do well to turn back, because you won’t get to Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to breach the blockade or aid terrorist organizations by sea, air or land,” Katz said Sunday.

Thunberg earlier in the week took aim at the global silence as to the events unfolding in Gaza.

“We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying,” she said. “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 live-streamed genocide.”