A group of international activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, will be deported from Israel after their boat, the Madleen, was seized en route to Gaza, Israeli authorities announced Monday.
The Madleen was intercepted early Monday by Israeli forces while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Strip. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the mission, said the boat was seized in international waters approximately 200 kilometres from Gaza. Israel dismissed the voyage as a publicity stunt, referring to the vessel as the “selfie yacht of the celebrities.”
Footage released by Israel’s foreign ministry showed military personnel distributing water and food to the orange life vest-clad activists. The Madleen was later brought to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where all aboard were disembarked and transferred to a detention facility ahead of deportation.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of “unlawfully boarding” the boat, claiming its unarmed crew was “abducted” and that essential supplies—such as baby formula and medicine—were confiscated.
Among the 12 activists on board were six French citizens, including Rima Hassan, a French MEP of Palestinian origin who has previously been barred from entering Israel. The European Parliament member said it is in “constant contact” with Israeli authorities to ensure her safety. EP President Roberta Metsola and political leaders are also involved in the case.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to allow the French nationals to return immediately.
Thunberg, in a pre-recorded message released after the seizure, urged pressure on the Swedish government to secure their release. She and other activists had departed from Sicily a week ago, reportedly stopping mid-voyage to rescue four migrants fleeing the Libyan coast guard.
Israel said the aid on board would be delivered to Gaza via established channels.
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Almost 4,000 flights were cancelled across the United States on Saturday as a monster winter storm threatened to paralyse the eastern states with heavy snowfall, sleet and freezing rain, while utilities from Texas to the Midwest faced power outages.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will not attend the National Football League’s Super Bowl on 8 February, citing the distance to the venue as the main reason.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had taken control of the village of Starytsya in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Saturday, near the border town of Vovchansk. Kyiv’s military did not confirm the claim, while Russian forces also reported strikes on drone and energy sites.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it regrets the United States’ formal decision to withdraw from the UN health body and has expressed hope that Washington will eventually resume active engagement with the agency.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States has an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.
Firefighters were clearing the charred ruins of a Karachi shopping mall in Pakistan on Tuesday (20 January) as they searched for people still missing after a fire that burned for nearly two days and killed at least 67 people, police said.
Iran will treat any military attack as an “all-out war,” a senior Iranian official said on Friday, as the United States moves additional naval and air assets into the Middle East amid rising tensions.
Trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. entered a second day in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, following an initial round of talks described by officials as productive.
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A four-day ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, which expired on Saturday night, has been extended by 15 days, Syria’s defence ministry said on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of people accused of links to Islamic State remain detained in camps across northeast Syria, as control shifts from Kurdish forces to the Syrian army, raising fresh legal, humanitarian and security concerns.
Uzbekistan has adopted new legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence, introducing fines for the unlawful processing of personal data and banning legally binding decisions based solely on AI systems.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on 23 January there are signs Israel is still seeking an opportunity to attack Iran, warning that such a move could further destabilise the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Azerbaijan and Armenia for upholding last August’s peace deal and said Vice President J.D. Vance will visit both countries in February.
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