(01:23 GMT)
Israeli MFA says Madleen being taken to Israel’s Ashdod port
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Israeli authorities intercepted the Madleen.
“The “selfie yacht” of the “celebrities” is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,” the ministry said in a post on X.
The post accused “Greta and others” of attempting “to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity” claiming sufficient aid has reached Gaza in the past two weeks.
However Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza after allowing some food to return to the strip following its longest ever total blockade.
Dozens of people have been killed while trying to reach aid distribution sites, including at least 13 Palestinians on Sunday alone.
(01:00 GMT)
‘If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped’
Greta Thunberg has shared a pre-recorded video appealing for international help.
“My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden,” Thunberg said in the video recorded on board the Madleen, before tonight’s events.
“If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” she said.
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
(00:50 GMT) Francesca Albanese says she lost contact with Madleen
As we’ve been reporting, the support crew for the Madleen say that communications on board the ship have been cut.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese also says she has lost contact with the ship.
“I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me,” says Albanese.
“I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that ‘another boat is approaching’.”
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur @FranceskAlbs (https://x.com/FranceskAlbs/status/1931861741484314881?)
12.40am UK time - The drones are pouring white paint on the boat.
12.51 UK time - The flotilla people remain in good spirit but they stay under cover because of the two quadcopters flying over them. These machines are made to kill, not just to surveil.
(00:40 GMT)
Developing
Madleen crew told to throw phones over board
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has shared a video showing the crew in the moments before the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces.
The crew sat wearing life vests, with their hands in the air and threw their phones in the water.
Updated press release from
https://freedomflotilla.org/2025/06/09/israeli-military-attacks-madleen-in-international-waters-weeks-after-bombing-of-conscience/
Catania, Sicily, Italy- The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) confirms that its civilian ship, Madleen, carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, has been attacked/forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military at 3:02 am CET in international waters at 31.95236° N, 32.38880° E. The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated.
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen,” said Huwaida Arraf, human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer. “This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
(00:25 GMT)
Crew’s eyes were burning after white substance dropped on Madleen
Here’s more from Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, which is supporting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
“Just moments ago, communication seemed to be cut,” Arraf told Al Jazeera from Sicily.
“So, we have lost all contact with our colleagues on the Madleen.”
“Before that, we know that they had two drones hovering above them that dropped some kind of chemical on the vessel. We don’t know what that chemical was,” she said.
“Some people reported that their eyes were burning. Before that, they were also approached by vessels in a very threatening manner.”
So at least for the last hour, hour and a half, they have been threatened by Israeli forces.”
“The last we saw, were able to hear from them, they were surrounded… by Israeli naval commandos and it looked like the commandos were about to take over the vessel.”
(00:21GMT)
Israeli forces intercept the Madleen, cut off comms
Contact has been lost with the Madleen after Israeli commandos intercepted it in international waters.
They demanded that everyone on board turn off their phones, and we have lost contact with Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Faiad as well as our live feed.
International Solidarity Movement co-founder, Huwaida Arraf, confirmed that they have also lost contact with the Madleen
(00:12 GMT)
Drones drop white substance on Madleen as communications blocked
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla says that quadcopters have surrounded the Madleen and are “spraying it with a white paint-like substance”.
“Communications are jammed and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,” the flotilla said in a post on Instagram.
Picture from Instagram says:
RED ALERT
The Madleen is currently under assault in international waters. Quadcopters are surrounding the ship, spraying it with a white paint-like substance. Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio
(23:45 GMT)
Two drones hovering over the Madleen
The crew on board the Madleen is now taking cover as two drones are hovering overhead, says UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
“Two drones over the Madleen. They say they are quadcopters, the dangerous ones. TEAM IS TAKING COVER,” Albanese wrote on X.
(22:58 GMT)
Developing
Freedom Flotilla Coalition says surrounding boats have left
In an audio message on the coalition’s Telegram, activist Thiago Avila has said the boats that surrounded the Madleen have now left.
“This, unfortunately, has been a very unlikely false alarm. we have been surrounded by many lights all at once. And they were circling our boat, but in the end, they kept going their own way,” he said.
“Could be IOF (Israel occupation forces) vessels, but in this case they just left and we don’t know,” he added. “We’re not sure.”
(22:40 GMT)
Developing
‘The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm’
A video posted by Eye on Palestine shows Brazilian activist Thiago Avila wearing a life jacket.
“The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm. We are being surrounded by their boats,” he said in the video.
“Yes this is an interception, a war crime is happening right now,” he said.
(22:35 GMT)
UN rights expert says Israeli speedboats surrounding Madleen
In a post on X, Francesca Albanese said that she is in contact with the Madleen crew as they are now surrounded by Israeli vessels.
“They have just been reached by the Israel speedboats – 5 vessels circling the flotilla,” Albanese said.
“The captain is instructing the team to stay calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets on.”
“I hear them speaking with Israeli soldiers as I type… telling they are carrying humanitarian aid and go in peace. For the time being they are just circled. I am with them, recording everything.”
Note: I purposely left out some updates that were not focused on real time events. Updates such as "I hope they make it home" and other he said/she said human type of stories. The full page of updates can be read at the link provided in the op.
Musk isn't authorized anymore?