Iranian activist among Gaza flotilla participants detained by Israel
An Iranian activist was among the travelers onboard a Gaza aid flotilla detained by Israel in recent days, ending a journey she chronicled in social media postings.
An Iranian activist was among the travelers onboard a Gaza aid flotilla detained by Israel in recent days, ending a journey she chronicled in social media postings.
Renaz Ebrahimi, 34, holds Finnish citizenship - one of the many nationalities represented on board the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla, which includes participants from various countries including Spain, Italy, Turkey and Malaysia.
In a video transmitted on Instagram, she appears to narrate the moment of her detention by Israeli forces while labeling its incursion into Gaza a genocide.
Israel denies the charge and has accused the activists of performing propaganda for Hamas militants.
She was aboard the Polish-flagged Marinette with six crew members, which was stopped 49 miles from Gaza's coastline.
On social media, Ebrahimi identifies herself as a journalist and activist, with a series of videos in Finnish about the recent flotilla movement to Gaza.
The Israeli navy stopped the flotilla, detained those on board on charges of attempting to cross a blockade, and is currently in the process of deporting them.
The flotilla launched in July 2025 as a humanitarian aid mission to break Israel's blockade of the coastal enclave. It started with 44 vessels, all of which have now been stopped by Israeli forces.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which has organized several such missions since 2008, released a statement upon the interception by the Israeli navy, vowing to continue their efforts.
“We stand with every human rights defender aboard. Their courage is part of our shared struggle to end Israel’s deadly siege,” the statement said.
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist, was also among those detained.
Israel imposed a land, air and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007 after Hamas took control of the territory. The aim was to prevent weapons smuggling and restrict Hamas’s military capabilities.
