Israeli Defence Minister Brands Climate Activist ‘Antisemitic Greta’ as Commandos Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Boat in International Waters
Greta Thunberg and her crew of activists sailing to Gaza will be forced to watch harrowing footage of Hamas’s October 7 atrocities after being intercepted by elite Israeli commandos in a dramatic pre-dawn raid at sea.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the military on its “quick and safe takeover” of the Madleen after Israeli Navy special forces boarded the vessel in international waters overnight, ending what Israel dismissed as a “selfie yacht” publicity stunt.
The group of 12 activists, including 22-year-old climate activist Thunberg, spent the night on the Mediterranean Sea, shadowed by speedboats and drones, before being stopped approximately 100 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast.
‘ANTISEMITIC GRETA’ SLUR
In an extraordinary attack, Defence Minister Katz branded the Swedish activist “antisemitic Greta” and ordered that she and her fellow passengers be shown graphic footage of Hamas’s October 7 massacre upon arrival at Israel’s Ashdod port.
Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends deserve to see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organization they came to support is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children—and whom Israel is fighting in self-defense,” Katz declared.
The disturbing footage, titled “Bearing Witness,” shows innocent people being massacred and mutilated – all captured on Hamas terrorists’ own bodycams as they filmed their rampage.
DRAMATIC PRE-DAWN RAID
Elite Shayetet 13 naval commandos boarded the British-flagged yacht at approximately 3am local time Monday morning, with surveillance footage showing crew members raising their hands as powerful lights flooded the vessel.
If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces,” Thunberg said in a video recorded before the capture, urging the Swedish government to secure her release.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry mockingly posted photos of Thunberg in a green hat and orange life vest, smiling while a soldier offered her a pastrami sandwich and bottled water.
‘SELFIE YACHT’ JIBE
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the mission as a publicity stunt, repeatedly referring to the vessel as a “selfie yacht” carrying “celebrities.
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,” the ministry stated.
They added tartly: “There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve Instagram selfies.
HIGH-PROFILE PASSENGERS
Among those detained alongside Thunberg were:
- Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament
- Brazilian activist Thiago Avila
- Activists from Turkey, Netherlands, Spain and Germany
Contrary to initial reports, “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham was not aboard, having only helped load the vessel before its departure from Sicily.
INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT
The interception has sparked diplomatic tensions, with multiple governments demanding their citizens’ release:
- French President Emmanuel Macron personally requested Israeli authorities release French nationals “as soon as possible
- Spain’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli embassy’s chargé d’affaires to protest
- Turkey condemned the “heinous act” as a violation of international law
- Sweden said it was in contact with Israeli authorities regarding Thunberg
GPS ‘JAMMING’ CLAIMS
Before the interception, activists claimed Israel was “jamming” the boat’s GPS system, causing their tracker to bizarrely show them at Jordan’s Queen Alia Airport – hundreds of miles from their actual position.
The disruption was likely due to Israeli precautions against Iranian-backed Houthi drones, which have recently attacked Israel via Mediterranean routes.
‘THE SHOW IS OVER’
“All passengers on the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry declared triumphantly.
The ministry confirmed the “tiny amount of aid” aboard – including rice, baby formula and medical supplies – would be transferred to Gaza through “real humanitarian channels.
DEFIANT MISSION
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had launched from Sicily on June 1, aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver symbolic humanitarian aid to the enclave.
Before departing, Thunberg had declared: “No matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocided.
Israel adamantly rejects allegations of genocide and maintains its blockade is necessary to prevent weapons reaching Hamas.
FORCED VIEWING
Upon arrival at Ashdod port, the activists face the grim prospect of watching the 43-minute compilation of October 7 atrocities – footage so disturbing it has been used to counter claims denying the massacre occurred.
The video includes scenes of terrorists shooting civilians at point-blank range, mutilating bodies, and celebrating their attacks – all recorded by the perpetrators themselves.
PREVIOUS FLOTILLA VIOLENCE
This latest interception recalls the deadly 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish-led flotilla, resulting in 10 activists’ deaths and sparking international condemnation.
Last month, another Freedom Flotilla vessel, the Conscience, caught fire off Malta in what the group blamed on an Israeli drone strike – though Israel never commented on the allegation.
HAMAS PRAISE
Hamas condemned the seizure as “state terrorism” and praised the activists’ “noble act of solidarity,” while the Palestinian Authority demanded the activists be protected.
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese urged other boats to challenge the blockade, declaring: “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over.
As the detained activists await deportation to their home countries, Israel’s message remains clear: the naval blockade of Gaza will not be breached, no matter how high-profile the passengers attempting to break it.
The activists are expected to be deported to their respective countries after being processed at Ashdod port. Israel maintains a naval blockade of Gaza, which it says is essential to prevent weapons reaching Hamas terrorists.
