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.

Israel has intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other prominent activists, detaining those onboard, with the vessel being taken to Israel.

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