Israeli forces divert Gaza activists' aid boat with Greta Thunberg on board

yogesh waran

Israeli forces have intercepted a yacht carrying activists and a small quantity of humanitarian aid that was trying to reach the Gaza Strip.   Climate activist Greta Thunberg and French lawmaker Rima Hassan, are among 12 people aboard the Madleen, with Thunberg saying they have been "kidnapped" in a video posted to social media.    Israel's foreign ministry has branded it a "selfie yacht" carrying "less than a single truckload of aid".   It's not yet clear when the vessel will arrive in the Israeli port city of Ashdod - Israeli officials say it is still en route, after local media earlier reported the yacht had docked.   The Palestinian foreign ministry has called for protection of the activists' safety, and a UN official has asked for more ships to "sail together" to bring aid to Gaza.

Transcript

00:00Now, Israeli forces have taken control of a ship carrying Greta Thunberg and 11 others

00:05pro-Palestinian activists. The Madeline, which was carrying a small but symbolic amount of

00:10aid for Gaza, was boarded as it tried to break a naval blockade. It's now being towed to

00:15an Israeli port.

00:17Videos and images were posted by the crew of the Madeline as it tried to reach Gaza,

00:22including this image showing the crew seated on the vessel, all wearing life jackets with

00:26their hands in the air, after which the volunteers said a white irritant was being sprayed onto them

00:32the decks.

00:56They are doing this so that we cannot get help.

01:02OK, we have, we are masking our face right now. We have doctors right above our heads,

01:08the most dangerous ones. And they are, they are, I don't know what this is. I do not know

01:18what this is, if this is a change or some chemical.

01:24Well the Freedom Flotilla Coalition also posted video messages from each of the activists on

01:29board the Madeline, including this one from the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg,

01:34who said the team had been intercepted and kidnapped.

01:38I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release

01:45me and the others as soon as possible.

01:48We are just hearing on Reuters that the Turkish Foreign Ministry says that the intervention

01:53by Israeli forces on the ship, the Madeline, is a clear violation of international law.

02:00That report coming in from the Reuters news agency.

02:03Well, Israel's Foreign Minister has called the voyage a public relations stunt. It says the crew were

02:08unharmed and that the ship was being redirected to Israeli shores and that those on board would be

02:14returned to their home countries. The Israel Foreign Ministry circulated what appeared to

02:19be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists,

02:24as well as a video, it says, shows the Navy giving the order on the ship to divert.

02:29The maritime zone of the coast of Gaza is close to naval traffic as part of a legal naval blockade.

02:37If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you are able to do so through the

02:43port of Ashdod via the established channels and distribution centers.

02:48Well, for the latest, let's speak to our Middle East correspondent, Hugo Boshega in Jerusalem.

02:52So, Hugo, what's the latest on this then?

02:57Yes, Rajini, so there have been reports in Israeli media suggesting that the boat has now arrived

03:02at the port of Ashdod in southern Israel. This has not been officially confirmed.

03:06And the Israeli authorities say that all 12 passengers of the boat are going to be deported,

03:12sent back to their home country. So I think we're not going to be hearing from them before they arrive

03:19back in their countries. Now, this is a boat that was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition,

03:24and they said that the goal with this mission was to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

03:29because of the restrictions that have been imposed by Israel on the distribution of aid.

03:36Nobody was expecting them to reach Gaza because Israel has intercepted all efforts by organizations,

03:43aid groups, to breach this naval blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 2007,

03:50when Hamas took control of the territory. Now, the Israeli Foreign Ministry described this as

03:56a selfie yacht and that the show was over. So we're still waiting to hear what is going to

04:02happened to these 12 passengers. Okay, Hugo Buscega with the very latest on that developing story.

04:07Thank you very much. That's Hugo Buscega in Jerusalem.

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