British News Agency

According to The Guardian, Israeli forces intercepted several boats of a pro-Palestinian flotilla about 75 miles off the coast of Gaza. The ships were attempting to break the naval blockade imposed on the war-torn region and deliver aid.

The raid began with the flotilla’s flagship, Alma, whose crew was detained on Wednesday by Israeli soldiers. In a video released by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the flotilla’s most notable passengers, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, was seen sitting on the deck surrounded by soldiers.

According to the flotilla’s own tracking data, as of Thursday morning a total of 13 boats had been stopped or seized. However, the organizers stated that the remaining vessels “would continue their journey” and were 46 nautical miles (85 km) away from their destination. Shortly before the intervention, Thunberg posted a video message on Instagram: “My name is Greta Thunberg. I am on the ship Alma. We are about to be stopped by Israel.”

The flotilla posted several videos on Telegram containing messages from people on different boats. In these messages, some holding their passports said that they had been abducted and were being taken to Israel against their will, and that their mission was a purely humanitarian and non-violent one.