Aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg docks in Israel; Macron calls for release of Gaza activists

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday (Jun 9) called on Israel to quickly release the activists, including Greta Thunberg, aboard an aid boat that was headed for Gaza. This comes as the boat reached Israel’s Ashdod port on Monday after being intercepted by Israeli forces.

Tens of thousands of people staged rallies after the Madleen, the boat carrying 12 activists, was stopped by Israel, preventing them from reaching the blockaded territory.

The Madleen set sail from Italy on June 1 to raise awareness about the food shortage in the Gaza Strip amid the war with Israel. The place has been called the “hungriest place on Earth” by the United Nations, which warned that Gazans are at risk of famine.

AFP reported that the Madleen reached the port north of Gaza at around 8:45 pm (1745 GMT), escorted by the Israeli navy. According to organisers, the boat was intercepted in international waters overnight.

Freedom Flotilla Coalition said that at around 4:02 am (0102 GMT) on Monday (Jun 9), was vessel was “forcibly intercepted” by Israeli troops as it approached Gaza.

“If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” Thunberg said in pre-recorded footage shared by the coalition.

“I urge all my friends, family, and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,” she added in the clip.

Israel's foreign ministry confirmed in a social post that “all the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. It added that it expected the activists to return to their home countries.

The interception of the boat was condemned by Turkey, which called it a “heinous attack”. While Iran denounced the move as “a form of piracy” in international waters.