Jerusalem: Israeli forces seized an aid boat bound for Gaza on Monday morning and detained 12 other activists, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The operation was carried out to enforce Israel’s long-standing blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been tightened during the Israel-Hamas war. The aid mission and protest, organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was carrying aid for some two million Palestinians in Gaza, who are at risk of famine due to Israel’s military campaign and aid restrictions. The military campaign is considered the deadliest and most destructive since World War II. The coalition said Israeli forces seized the boat in international waters, 200 kilometers from Gaza, and kidnapped the unarmed civilian crew, while confiscating aid supplies, including baby milk, food and medical supplies. Israeli position The Israeli Foreign Ministry called it a public relations stunt and posted on X that the “selfie yacht” was safely heading towards Israeli shores. Israel The activists will be sent back to their countries and aid supplies will be delivered to Gaza through established channels. Israeli spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the boat was heading to the port of Ashdod, and the activists will be held in a detention facility in the city of Ramle, before being deported. Madeleine's journey The Madeleine set sail from Sicily on June 1. On Thursday, it rescued four migrants who had jumped into the sea to escape detention by the Libyan coast guard. "I appeal to my friends, family and colleagues to pressure the Swedish government to release me and the other activists as soon as possible," Thunberg said in a message released after her detention. International reaction One of the six French citizens on the boat was Rima Hassan, a Palestinian-born member of the European Parliament who is banned from entering Israel for opposing Israeli policies. French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to allow her to return to France as soon as possible. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmö Steinergaard said that Madeleine The crew knew the risks and were personally responsible. Legal position Adalah, a legal rights group, said Israel’s seizure of the boat in international waters was illegal because it was heading towards Palestinian territorial waters, not Israel. They called the arrest of unarmed activists a serious violation of international law. Israeli claim and reality Israeli officials said the flotilla was carrying less than a truckload of aid. “This is not an aid mission, it is Instagram activism,” said government spokesman David Manser. “Israel has delivered more than 1,200 truckloads of aid to Gaza in the past two weeks. Greta came for publicity, not aid.” However, after a 2.5-month-long blockade, Israel allowed some basic aid in last month, but aid workers and experts have warned that the risk of famine will remain until the blockade is lifted and the military operation ends.