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Israeli navy boards Greta Thunberg’s Gaza aid flotilla
Foreign ministry confirms that the Global Sumud Flotilla was intercepted for violating a lawful naval blockade and those on board transferred to an Israeli port
By Gabrielle Weiniger Wednesday October 01 2025, 9.50pm BST, The Times
The Gaza aid flotilla said it had been intercepted and that Israeli military had boarded some of their vessels on Wednesday evening.
The flotilla, carrying activists including Greta Thunberg, the Swedish campaigner, had earlier been warned to change course to the port of Ashdod, north of Gaza, Israel’s foreign ministry said. Israeli officials said any aid could be transferred “through safe channels” to Gaza.
The ministry said the Israeli navy had informed the flotilla it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade. It said several vessels had been stopped and those onboard were being transferred to an Israeli port.
In a separate statement, the ministry said Thunberg and “her friends” were safe and healthy.
Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover.
“Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board,” organisers of the flotilla said in a post on X.
Israeli naval commandos had been expected to board some of the ships, of which there are at least 44, as the flotilla made its final approach to Gaza, flanked by Italian and Spanish naval vessels. Activists on board the flotilla said they had declared a state of emergency and that their vessels had been surrounded.
Hamas called Israel’s interception of Gaza flotilla as a “crime of piracy and terrorism”.
Italy’s foreign minister said that his Israeli counterpart had assured him the Israeli armed forces would not use violence against activists on board.
“The boarding was planned, we are talking about it … with Minister Saar so that there would be no violent actions on the part of the Tel Aviv armed forces, and this has been assured to me,” Antonio Tajani told Italian TV broadcaster Rai.
“We instructed our embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem to assist all Italians who will probably be taken to Ashdod, but then will be expelled,” he added.
Protests took place in Italy on Wednesday night and unions called for a general strike on Friday.
“The aggression against civilian ships that were carrying Italian citizens is an extremely serious matter,” the CGIL union said.
In one of the first international responses, Turkey accused Israel of committing an “act of terrorism” by intercepting the flotilla.
Earlier, the activists accused Israel of launching an early “intimidatory operation” circling their lead vessel, the Alma.
A video post on the flotilla’s Instagram page showed the silhouetted outline of what it said was an Israeli military vessel carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near the civilian vessels.
“I fear this will be the final letter that I write to you from the Global Sumud Flotilla — now just 120 NM [nautical miles] from the shores of Gaza,” David Adler, a Jewish activist on board wrote on X, vowing to continue on their journey to deliver aid to Gaza’s besieged population and raise awareness of Israel’s military campaign.
“Last night, several Israeli naval ships menaced our convoy. They attacked our vessels, intimidated our crew and disabled our communications. We recognise these tactics from previous flotilla missions. We know that they are the precursor to what we have long feared: illegal Israeli abduction in international waters.”
Italy and Greece urged the activists to compromise by handing over their aid to the Catholic Church, for it to distribute in Gaza, and to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel’s military.
As the flotilla carried on its journey, heavy bombardments were reported in Gaza City as Israel continued its offensive. More than two dozen people were killed in the latest strikes, according to local hospitals.
More:
https://www.thetimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-war/article/israel-greta-thunberg-gaza-flotilla-jp9nc8z2z