Greta Thunberg, along with other activists including actor Liam Cunningham and European parliamentarian Rima Hassan, were detained by Israeli authorities after their boat, attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, was intercepted. The Israeli government stated its intention to prevent the unauthorized ship from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza.
Thunberg, in a pre-recorded message, claimed they were “kidnapped in international waters.” Hamas condemned the detention, labeling it an attack on civilian volunteers. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, called for the immediate release of the activists and encouraged solidarity.
Israel's foreign ministry asserted that the aid would be delivered to Gaza through established humanitarian channels.
Ms Thunberg, 22, a prominent climate campaigner, was joined by other pro-Gaza activists including Liam Cunningham, the Game of Thrones actor, and Rima Hassan, a European parliamentarian.
Israel’s foreign ministry said the aid on the boat would be delivered to Gaza “through real humanitarian channels”.
The Israeli government had vowed to prevent the “unauthorised” ship from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back.
Ms Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released by the coalition after the ship was halted: “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters.”
Hamas has condemned their detention, calling it an “attack on civilian volunteers acting out of humanitarian motives”.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, called on Israel to release the activists “immediately” and urged boats across the Mediterranean to sail to Gaza in solidarity. “They shall sail together – united, they will be unstoppable,” she wrote on X.
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