Greta Thunberg says Israel Kidnapped Gaza Aid Boat Crew
Synopsis
Climate activist Greta Thunberg says Israel kidnapped her and 11 other volunteers when their ship tried to bring aid to Gaza. The 22-year-old Swedish campaigner was deported from Israel on Tuesday after being held…
Climate activist Greta Thunberg says Israel kidnapped her and 11 other volunteers when their ship tried to bring aid to Gaza. The 22-year-old Swedish campaigner was deported from Israel on Tuesday after being held for trying to deliver humanitarian supplies to the war-torn Gaza.
Thunberg spoke to some reporters at a Paris airport after being forced to leave Israel. She said the crew was sailing legally in international waters when Israeli forces took control of their ship. “We were 12 peaceful volunteers sailing on a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid in international waters,” says Thunberg. “We did not break the law. We did nothing wrong.”
Israeli Forces Seize Ship 125 Miles from Gaza
The British-flagged ship called Madleen was captured about 125 miles away from Gaza. Israeli authorities towed the boat to the port of Ashdod and arrested everyone on board, including French politician Rima Hassan.
Some crew members are still being held in Israel and will have to go through some court hearings about being kicked out of the country. The ship was carrying symbolic aid supplied to Gaza, where people are running out of food because of the ongoing war and restrictions.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition organized the trip to Gaza. This group has tried multiple times since 2007 to bring aid to Gaza by sea, but Israel has blocked ships from reaching the area.
Aid Workers Call Seizure Illegal Under International Law
Thunberg refused to sign on papers, saying she had entered Israel illegally. She reported that Israeli forces kidnapped the crew in international waters, which she says breaks international law. Another crew member named Sergio Toribio was sent back to Spain on Tuesday. He called what happened a pirate attack in international waters and said it was wrong to violate their rights.
Human rights group Amnesty International said Israel broke international law by stopping the ship. The group’s leader said that the crew members were peaceful activists trying to help people and should be released right away.
Gaza has been under an Israeli sea blockade since 2007, which means ships cannot freely travel from there. Then, in 2010, nine activists died when Israeli soldiers attacked ships trying to bring supplies to Gaza. Earlier this year, another ship was damaged in what crew members said was an Israeli drone attack.
Thunberg said the trip was meant to help over 2 million people in Gaza who are starving. She called the situation there a “genocide” and said people around the world need to act instead of just watching it all happen.
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At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
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