Where is Greta? France Demands Access for Detained Citizens Following Naval Seizure
French Citizens Detained at Sea
France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Bréton, announced that six French citizens were detained by Israeli naval forces during an attempt to reach Gaza by sea. The minister stated that French authorities were aware of the ship’s departure and had previously warned the citizens about potential risks while coordinating with Israeli officials to prevent incidents.
Consular Access Requested
Following the interception of the vessel, France made a formal request for consular access to the detained individuals. Bréton noted that the consulate is working to assess their condition and facilitate their swift return to France. He further emphasized that France calls for “immediate, extensive, and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip.”
Incident Overview
Overnight, the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that the Navy took control of the ship en route to Israel’s shores. The vessel was redirected to the Port of Ashdod, where officials asserted that “the celebrity selfie yacht is safely making its way to Israel’s shores, and passengers are expected to return to their countries of origin.” A video later surfaced showing the ship’s passengers receiving water and sandwiches with a message stating, “the show is over.”
Security Insights
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently instructed that a video of the events from the October 7 attack be shown to the ship’s passengers. Katz asserted the importance of the activists seeing, “who Hamas is, what they have dstart, and against whom Israel is fighting.” The ship had embarked from Catania, Sicily, a week prior, with Israel having made clear beforehand that it would not permit the vessel to reach Gaza. The interception occurred after days of monitoring, with security officials clarifying that there was no imminent threat to the operation.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding naval activities in the region, particularly related to humanitarian access to Gaza and the international response to such operations