Israel seized the Polish‑flagged ship Sirius carrying MP Franciszek Sterczewski during a Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission to Gaza, sparking accusations of kidnapping.
Polish activist ships seized by Israel
Israel’s navy seized the container ship Sirius as it approached the Gaza Strip. The vessel was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla and carried Polish MP Franciszek Sterczewski.
Global Movement to Gaza Poland reported that Sterczewski was taken by Israeli occupation forces on international waters during a legal, peaceful humanitarian mission. The organization released a video of the politician and urged that the incident be treated as kidnapping.
Organization calls on Polish authorities
Global Movement to Gaza Poland issued a statement demanding the Polish government guarantee the safety of activists on the flotilla. It specifically asked for the immediate involvement of Minister Radosław Sikorski.
The statement noted that at about 20:30, Israeli forces reportedly seized three ships—Sirius, Alma and Adara—and that the flotilla’s communication systems were likely disabled to block distress alerts.
Israel confirms seizure of part of ships
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that several flotilla vessels had been captured and their passengers transported to an Israeli port.
In a separate release, the Israeli authorities released footage showing an Israeli official and Greta Thunberg, stating that “Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.”
