Israel diverts Gaza-bound aid boat, Greta Thunberg and other activists told to ‘return home’

A Gaza-bound aid boat with Greta Thunberg and other activists was diverted to Israeli shores, the Israeli foreign ministry said on Monday.

“The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,” the ministry added.

The civilian ship, called the Madleen, was operating under the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international campaign against the blockade of Gaza, The New York Times reported.

The coalition had claimed earlier on Monday that the activists had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces” and released videos of pre-recorded messages from them.

The Israeli foreign ministry shared a video on Monday purportedly showing the passengers of the ship “safe and unharmed”.

It also said on social media that the humanitarian aid aboard the ship “will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels”.

On Sunday, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz had said on social media that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “act to prevent the ‘Madeleine’ hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza…and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end”.

All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over. pic.twitter.com/tLZZYcspJO— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has accused Israel of “forcibly intercepting” the Madleen.

“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted and its life-saving cargo – including baby formula, food...

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