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.

A Gaza-bound boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other international activists was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters. The group was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians as part of a protest flotilla.

Israel's foreign ministry has branded it a "selfie yacht", while Thunberg says she has been "kidnapped" after Israeli forces boarded the vessel.