On Sunday night, the sailboat Madleen, with climate alarmist activist Greta Thunberg on board, was boarded by Israeli forces in international waters.
The incident occurred at around 2 a.m. when the boat was on its way to Gaza with supplies. According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the ship is now being taken to Israel instead of its original destination, and the passengers are said to be flown back to their home countries soon.
The crew of the Madleen, consisting of twelve people from the left-wing activist group Freedom Flotilla, left Sicily a week ago with Gaza as their destination. Shortly before boarding, at around 1 a.m., they reported that they were “very close” to their destination. Activist Yasemin Acar described how Israeli speedboats surrounded them:
– We suspect that this is psychological warfare and that they have planned this, she said.
The Israeli boats initially withdrew, but two remained nearby with their engines turned off, and shortly thereafter the crew sent an alarm via Telegram:
“The Madleen is under attack in international waters“.
According to Freedom Flotilla, the boat was surrounded by drones that sprayed them with a white chemical substance. They also reported that “communications are blocked and disturbing noises are being played over the radio”. In a later update, a picture was published showing the crew wearing life jackets and holding their hands in the air, with the caption: “The Israeli army has boarded the ship”.
SOS messages to follow#alleyesonMadleen pic.twitter.com/O02sv5c1jW
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) June 9, 2025
“Kidnapped in international waters”
The Freedom Flotilla claims that its crew has been kidnapped by Israeli forces, and Greta Thunberg has also shared a video clip with this message on social media:
– If you are seeing this video, it means we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters, she says in a video clip recorded before the boarding.
SOS! the volunteers on ‘Madleen’ have been kidnapped by Israeli forces.
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish citizen.
Pressure their foreign ministries and help us keep them safe!Web: https://t.co/uCGmx8sn8j
X : @SweMFA
FB : @SweMFA
IG : swedishmfa#AllEyesOnMadeleen pic.twitter.com/76Myrg2Bnz— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) June 9, 2025
She urged her followers to put pressure on the Swedish government to secure her release.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not explicitly confirmed that it boarded the boats, but wrote on X that “The ‘selfie yacht’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are safe and were provided with sandwiches and water, and are expected to return to their home countries“.
The ministry accused the activists of seeking publicity and added that “there are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve provocations and selfies”.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is “closely monitoring the situation“
Another post showed a picture of a soldier handing a plastic-wrapped sandwich to Greta Thunberg, with the caption “Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits“.
Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits. pic.twitter.com/pjWSr0lOsE
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 9, 2025
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the crew will be shown videos of Hamas attacks on October 7 before they are released. He also claims that Thunberg is an anti-Semite who supports Hamas.
– It is appropriate that the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organization they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation. In an email to the state television channel SVT, the Ministry wrote:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Tel Aviv are in contact with local authorities and are closely monitoring the situation. Should consular assistance be required, the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assess how we can best help Greta Thunberg resolve her situation”.