Israel foreign ministry on Monday released a video of the Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg after the climate activist claimed that they had been “kidnapped” by Israel. In the footage, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) were seen distributing food and water to those aboard.It also informed that Thunberg was on “her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits”, posting a smiling picture of her.Taking a swipe at the whole “kidnapped” saga, Israel declared- “The show is over.”“All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over,” it said.In another post, Israeli foreign ministry said that the “tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the celebrities” would be sent to Gaza.“The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,” it said.“There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies,” it added.This came after Thunberg, in a video clip, was seen appealing for help claiming that their ship had been “intercepted and kidnapped” by the Israeli forces.“My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we are being 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,” she said.Calling it a “publicity” stunt, Israel criticised it saying that “Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation”.“While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza,” it said.“The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,” it added.The Hamas-led assault on October 7 resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people in Israel and the abduction of 251 hostages, with 55 still in captivity—many feared dead. In retaliation, Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting that women and children make up the majority of the casualties. The conflict has ravaged Gaza, forcing nearly 90% of its population from their homes and creating widespread dependence on humanitarian aid.
