Israeli army boards Greta Thunberg's ship, not allowed to enter Gaza

(Patria) - Israeli forces intercepted a ship with humanitarian aid sailing towards Gaza, and among the passengers were climate activist Greta Thunberg, actor from the series "Game of Thrones" Liam Cunningham, and French MEP Rima Hassan. All were detained and transported to Israel.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) had previously announced that the Israeli army had boarded the ship "Madleen," which was attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. In this enclave, after more than 600 days of war and eleven weeks of a complete blockade of aid, 2.1 million people are facing a severe hunger crisis, CNN writes.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday morning (local time) that the ship is "safely moving towards the Israeli coast" and that the passengers are expected to return to their home countries.

They also shared a video on social media showing ship crew members, dressed in orange life vests, sitting next to each other while a soldier distributes water and sandwiches. Greta Thunberg is sitting near the front of the group.

The FFC coalition had previously announced on Telegram that the ship was "attacked in international waters".

"Drones are circling the ship and dropping a white substance resembling paint. Communication has been cut off, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio," their announcement stated. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a video showing a sailor via radio telling the ship's crew that the "maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed".

In a live broadcast from the ship, activist Yasmin Acar showed a white substance on the deck, claiming it was thrown onto the ship, and later said it was irritating her eyes.

FFC also posted a video on Telegram showing crew members sitting inside the ship with their hands raised.

After communication with the ship was lost, FFC began releasing pre-recorded messages from activists, including Greta Thunberg. "If you are seeing this footage, we have been intercepted and hijacked in international waters by Israeli occupation forces or forces supporting them," Thunberg said in her message.