DISPATCHES FROM THE DOOM GOBLIN: Israeli military arrests Greta Thunberg, flotilla activists after intercepting dozens of boats.
Israeli naval forces intercepted 39 vessels from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Thursday, detaining dozens of activists — including international climate activist Greta Thunberg and several European lawmakers, The Associated Press reported.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set out across the Mediterranean with more than 40 boats carrying about 500 activists, was the largest yet to attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the enclave, according to the AP.
The flotilla has since been reduced to a single vessel still headed toward Gaza. Organizers with the Global Sumud Flotilla said on X that the boat was last tracked only a few miles off Gaza’s coast before contact was lost. Activists told the AP that they believed the flotilla’s size would make it harder for Israeli forces to intercept every vessel.
Photos and surveillance footage captured the moment Israeli soldiers in helmets and night vision goggles boarded the flotilla. A photo from Israel’s foreign ministry showed Thunberg, the most prominent of the flotilla’s passengers, accompanied by soldiers following the interception. Israeli officials said those detained included Thunberg, former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and European Parliament member Rima Hassan, according to the AP.
Israel’s foreign ministry said on X that the activists were “safe and in good health” and would be transferred to Israel to be deported to Europe.
But not before they tossed their smartphones overboard while their ship was being boarded:
Greta and her friends just casually hurling electronic waste into the ocean is a perfect metaphor for the depth of their convictions https://t.co/NNLJF6MSxB
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) October 2, 2025
But, how dare they!
Related: Israel to deport intercepted flotilla activists, including Greta Thunberg, to Europe.