Israeli naval commandos seized the Madleen flotilla en route to Gaza early Monday morning, making headlines worldwide after eight tense days in which the pro-Palestinian activists — including climate activist Greta Thunberg — sailed toward the Strip and livestreamed from the deck. Overnight, Shayetet 13 fighters boarded the vessel after warning it to stay away from Gaza’s coast. The Foreign Ministry reported: "The celebrity ship is now safely en route to Israel."
Leading global outlets, including CNN and The New York Times, maintained a relatively informative tone, presenting both the flotilla participants’ accounts and official Israeli statements. "Israel seizes Gaza-bound aid ship, detains Greta Thunberg and other prominent activists," read CNN’s headline, initially omitting the Foreign Ministry’s description of the vessel as a "celebrity selfie yacht" — a term that only appeared later in the report.
Gaza flotilla activists give up after Shayetet 13 takeover, Al Jazeera
Israeli commandos take over the Madleen flotilla to Gaza
(Video: Foreign Ministry)
The Times sub-headlined that Israel "vowed to prevent the vessel from reaching Gaza" and that the IDF said it would use "any necessary means" to enforce its naval blockade. "The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the flotilla, which carried humanitarian aid, was rerouted to Israel and that the passengers would be returned to their countries of origin," it added.
The Wall Street Journal described the events with: "Israeli forces intercept sailboat carrying activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who aimed to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of the Israeli blockade on the enclave." The Journal highlighted activists’ claims that the seizure took place in international waters. In several outlets, the story was not featured on the homepage, as escalating protests in Los Angeles over Trump’s immigration policy took precedence. However, it did appear as the second or third headline on most platforms.
British outlets were, predictably, more critical of Israel. Both the BBC and The Guardian ran live blogs covering the developments minute by minute. "Israeli forces stop aid boat carrying activists from reaching Gaza," reported the BBC, adding that "the Foreign Ministry labeled the boat a 'selfie yacht' and said the Navy ordered it to reroute." The BBC quickly followed up by noting that "the UN has repeatedly warned of hunger, malnutrition and disease in Gaza."
The Guardian led with the activists’ perspective: "Gaza aid boat activists accuse Israel of 'violent interception', while Israeli Foreign Ministry says the vessel is en route to Israel." The report emphasized the activists’ claims that "Israeli forces boarded the vessel unlawfully, its unarmed civilian crew was kidnapped, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food, and medical equipment — was confiscated."
By contrast, Germany’s Bild adopted Israel’s framing, headlining: "Israeli army stops Greta from reaching Gaza." The tabloid described the flotilla as "a dangerous voyage with a dubious political message" and argued that Thunberg "provokes controversy with a PR campaign." It also pointed out that "the UN has confirmed Israel’s naval blockade is legal, a legitimate step to prevent arms shipments to terror organizations."
The incident was also widely reported in Arabic media. Qatar’s Al Jazeera broadcast the boarding live, noting that among the 12 activists onboard was one of its own reporters, Omar Faiad. "Israeli commandos seize Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen and reroute it to Israel," read the headline, with coverage provided through continuous updates.
Unsurprisingly, the coverage was highly critical of Israel from the start. "The vessel carried humanitarian aid for Palestinians starving under the Israeli blockade," read the first paragraph, followed by the claim that "Israel has killed over 54,000 people in Gaza during this war while maintaining a land, sea, and air blockade since 2007."
The event began around 1:15 a.m., when the flotilla reported an onboard alarm and announced that life vests were ready for an expected seizure. Activists released statements to the press and livestreamed the incident on Instagram.
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Before the boarding, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued several statements denouncing the "celebrity yacht" as "a publicity gimmick — carrying less aid than a single truckload — a 'selfie yacht'." The ministry later released a recording of a female officer hailing the vessel: "The coastal waters of Gaza are closed to maritime traffic. If you want to deliver humanitarian aid, you may do so through the Ashdod Port, via official channels and distribution centers."
Following the boarding by Shayetet 13, the Foreign Ministry announced that the vessel "is safely en route to Israeli shores. The passengers will likely be returned to their home countries." A later video showed IDF soldiers distributing sandwiches to the flotilla passengers. "All the passengers aboard the 'selfie yacht' are healthy and safe. They received sandwiches and water. The show is over," said the ministry.