The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver symbolic aid to Gaza.

Activist Thunberg planned to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade on the enclave.

The activists had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II, and its restrictions on the entry of aid.