THIS was the dramatic moment Israeli forces boarded the boats and detained activists, including Greta Thunberg as they headed for war-ravaged Gaza.
In video footage, Greta Thunberg can be seen being detained, as well as onboard vision of the flotilla at the time of the interception.
Images of the detained activists including Greta have been released as evidence of their safety[/caption]
Video footage of Greta Thunberg being detained has enraged thousands internationally[/caption]
She was one of many activists taken into Israeli custody overnight[/caption]
In a statement posted to the social media platform X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”.
“Greta and her friends are safe and healthy”.
In a second post, the ministry shared two images of the flotilla activists, saying: “Hamas-Sumud passengers on their yachts are making their way safely and peacefully to Israel, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin”.
“The passengers are safe and in good health,” the post ended.
Activists can be seen with life jackets on, holding their hands up in the surrender position.
Yesterday, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla reported army personnel jumped onboard and “illegally intercepted” their journey just hours after they were circled by a warship.
The humanitarian convoy was attempting to get essential aid, including baby formula and medication, to Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of more than 40 civilian boats carrying an estimated 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Thunberg.
Dozens of boats are still in the water, attempting to get much-needed aid to the starving population in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the activists aboard the flotilla will be deported once the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur ends on Thursday.
In a statement, he said: “We will not allow any PR stunt approaching an active war zone to violate our sovereignty.
“Those who tried to enter Israeli territory illegally will be deported immediately after Yom Kippur in Israel.”
The interception comes after the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification described the situation in Gaza as “entirely man-made” as it warned of severe malnutrition across the war-torn Strip.
In August, at least 251 civilians have died as a result of malnutrition with just under half being children, according to the latest numbers from the Gaza health ministry.
The declaration marks just the fifth time famine has been announced since the classification was established in 2004.
The latest intervention of the flotilla has left thousands in the international community incensed, triggering mass demonstrations, threats of strikes, and diplomatic censure.
The British government has said it is “very concerned” about the interception.
Where the Israeli army has intercepted the flotilla[/caption]
The activists sailed from Crete Island towards Gaza in late September[/caption]
Greta seen on one of the flotilla ships leaving Crete last month[/caption]
In a statement released by the Foreign Office on Thursday morning, the Foreign Office said it had contacted Israel to resolve the situation safely.
“We are very concerned about the situation with the Sumud flotilla, we are in touch with the families of a number of British nationals involved,” the Foreign Office said.
“The aid carried by the flotilla should be turned over to humanitarian organisations on the ground to be delivered safely to Gaza.”
The Spanish government has also called on Israel to protect the safety and rights of the detained activists.
An estimated 10,000 Italians turned out in Rome and other major cities in support of the flotilla, as the fate of several Italian parliamentarians on the humanitarian mission hang in the balance.
Protests have rippled across Europe and the world, as people took to the streets in Brussels, Athens, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
Activists were hoping to break through the Israeli blockade of Gaza with much needed humanitarian aid[/caption]
