Eight days after it set sail, the so called "Gaza flotilla" was intercepted Monday overnight by the Israeli Navy's Shayetet 13 naval commando unit in a swift, incident-free operation.
Among those on board was climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was photographed smiling as she received food from IDF personnel. Thunberg, a known vegan, accepted a pastrami sandwich. The vessel docked at Ashdod port, and the activists were set to be transferred to police custody.
Footage of the operation to intercept yacht heading to Gaza
(Video: Foreign Ministry)
Al Jazeera footage of the operation to intercept yacht heading to Gaza
Unlike the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident - in which an Israeli naval raid on a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to breach the Gaza blockade resulted in the deaths of 10 activists and sparked global controversy - Israel appeared fully prepared. The military executed a precise operation but the Foreign Ministry—not the IDF—was designated to lead public messaging. From the outset, the government sought to frame the event as a civilian matter, not a military one.
All official statements were issued by the Foreign Ministry, even though the footage was provided by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. A Foreign Ministry official was stationed in the military press operations room to receive media content and coordinate releases in real-time.
The National Public Diplomacy Directorate, the Foreign Ministry and the IDF Spokesperson's Unit worked from joint operations rooms to manage global media coverage. The Foreign Ministry maintained ongoing contact with the governments of the activists’ home countries to ensure Israel’s narrative was shared promptly and to prevent misinformation. Meanwhile, the IDF documented the operation in detail, including the distribution of sandwiches and water to the passengers.
Even this hospitality was part of Israel’s strategy to present itself as a composed and responsible sovereign state, responding to a provocation with civility. Officials aimed to contrast the calm professionalism of this operation with past incidents that generated controversial imagery.
This time, Israel treated the flotilla as a publicity stunt rather than a serious threat. Foreign Ministry officials branded the boat “the selfie yacht” or “the celeb yacht,” mocking the activists’ apparent focus on social media over humanitarian action. The vessel’s appearance—a yacht—helped Israel’s framing, as it didn’t convey a sense of distress.
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Criticism also came from abroad. British commentator Piers Morgan, a vocal supporter of Israel, posted a video of Thunberg claiming she had been “kidnapped” and tweeted: “Oh shut up, you attention-seeking narcissist. What an insult to the actual hostages in Gaza who really WERE kidnapped. This stupid stunt is all about your ego, and will make zero difference to the plight of innocent Palestinians caught up in this dreadful war."
The amount of aid aboard the ship was symbolic—roughly equivalent to the contents of one truck—compared to the 1,200 trucks that have entered Gaza over the past two weeks and the 11 million food portions distributed by humanitarian agencies in the Strip.
Officials acknowledged that in addition to planning, Israel also benefited from timing: international media attention was largely focused on violent riots in Los Angeles during the same hours.
At 4:25 a.m., the Foreign Ministry posted a summary statement on X: “All passengers on the 'selfie yacht' are safe and sound. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein added: “We’ve successfully shown the world this was a provocation. All the lessons of the Mavi Marmara have been applied.”
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Global headlines following IDF's interception of the flotilla
(Photo: Foreign Ministry)
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry sharply condemned the operation, saying, “The Israeli intervention against the Madleen ship constitutes a violation of international law,” and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of “acting like a terror state.”
Security officials had instructed forces to treat the activists “politely and pleasantly,” noting they were not terrorists with explosives but demonstrators with iPhones. The activists are expected to arrive at Ashdod port during the day and will be deported as quickly as possible.
It’s unclear whether they will be shown footage of the October 7 Hamas massacre near the Gaza border, though it may be screened in Ashdod. Outside the port, a small group of anti-war protesters gathered with signs reading, “End the genocide.”