Greta Thunberg's attempt to breach Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza ended in drama at sea after Israeli forces intercepted the vessel carrying the 22-year-old climate activist and 11 others.
The interception, which occurred in international waters, has sparked a fiery war of words between the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Israeli authorities, with both sides accusing the other of provocation and misconduct.
Dubbed the 'selfie yacht' by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the vessel Madleen had set sail from Sicily loaded with what the group said were critical humanitarian supplies for Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by The Daily Mail . Onboard were high-profile figures, including Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and French MEP Rima Hassan, joining Thunberg in what they described as a peaceful mission to raise awareness and deliver aid.
But Israel saw it differently.
The Israeli government called the voyage a 'publicity stunt', claiming that the amount of aid on board wasn't even enough to fill a single truck. 'This was never about humanitarian support,' an MFA statement read, 'this was a photo op, an Instagram campaign masquerading as activism.' Officials further emphasised that over 1 200 aid trucks had entered Gaza through established routes in the past two weeks, making the yacht's contribution negligible by comparison.