Israeli Navy commandos have intercepted a boat carrying activists with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition who were attempting to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila issued this warning just before Israeli forces raided the ship, the Madleen, in international waters about 100 nautical miles from Gaza.

Thiago Ávila: “Everyone, we are under attack. Please sound the alarm. They are throwing a lot of substances and objects on us. Quadcopters, the most dangerous ones. … Right now they are jamming our comms. They are saying random stuff just to jam our communication. They are doing this so that we cannot get help.”

Passengers on the ship included the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who recorded this message before the Israeli raid.

Greta Thunberg: “My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel. 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.”

Israeli forces are now bringing the boat to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. U.N. special rapporteur Francesca Albanese condemned the Israeli raid on the ship. She wrote online, “While Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza. They shall sail together — united, they will be unstoppable. Breaking The Siege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us.” We will have more on this story later in the program.