Mediterranean Sea, Jun 09 (V7N) — The Israeli navy intercepted and seized the Madeleine, a British-flagged ship carrying food and relief supplies for Gaza, operated by the pro-Palestinian international humanitarian group Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The interception took place in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday.

All 12 crew members aboard the Madeleine have been arrested, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and French Member of Parliament Rima Hassan.

The ship was later escorted under heavy guard to an Israeli port. The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on its X account that the “celebrity selfie yacht” is being brought to the Israeli coast, and the passengers are expected to return to their home countries soon.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which aimed to raise international awareness by delivering symbolic amounts of rice and baby food to Gaza in defiance of the Israeli blockade.

On its Telegram account, the FFC stated that Israel seized the ship the night before it was due to reach its destination. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that all those onboard are safe and well and that they were provided breakfast following the interception.

The Madeleine had set sail from the Italian Mediterranean island of Sicily on June 1, heading toward the Gaza coast as part of the humanitarian mission.

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