While the summit in New York could boost the morale of Palestinians, it is not expected to deliver change on the ground, where the most far-right government in Israel’s history has declared there will be no Palestinian state as it pushes on with its fight against militant group Hamas.

The two-state solution was the bedrock of the U.S.-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords. The process suffered heavy pushback from both sides and has all but died.

Israeli Ambassador Calls Summit a ‘Circus’

Israel and the United States will boycott the summit, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon, said, describing the event as a “circus.”

Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal all recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday. France and five other states are expected to also formally do so on Monday at the meeting ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.

While the majority of European countries now recognise a Palestinian state, both Germany and Italy have signalled they are unlikely to make such a move soon.

Germany — long a strong supporter of Israel because of its responsibility for the Holocaust — has grown more critical of Israeli policy, while insisting that recognition of a Palestinian state should come at the end of a political process to agree on a two-state solution.

The German government spokesperson also said on Monday there must be no further annexations in Israeli-occupied territory.

Italy said recognising a Palestinian state could be “counterproductive”.

Russia still believes that a two-state solution is the only way to settle the conflict, the Kremlin said on Monday.

“This remains our approach, and we believe that it is the only possible way to find a solution to this extremely complex, long-standing conflict, which is now perhaps at its most acute and tragic stage in its entire history,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Israeli Response May Include West Bank Annexation

Israel has become isolated and drawn global condemnation over its military conduct in Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected numerous calls to end the campaign until Hamas is destroyed and has said he will not recognise a Palestinian state. Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday he will announce Israel’s response when he returns from the U.S., where he is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

Israel is considering annexing part of the occupied West Bank as a possible response as well as specific bilateral measures against Paris, Israeli officials have said, even though the recognitions are expected to be largely symbolic.

Annexation could backfire and alienate key countries like the United Arab Emirates, a global oil power and trade hub with wide diplomatic clout across the Middle East.

The United Arab Emirates, the most prominent of the Arab states that normalised ties with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, has said such a move would undermine the spirit of the agreement.

The U.S. administration has also warned of possible consequences for those who take measures against Israel, including against France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, is hosting the New York summit.

The summit follows Israel’s launch of a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City with few prospects for a ceasefire two years after Palestinian Islamist militants Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the war in the Palestinian enclave.

France Says Declaration Shows Commitment To Two-State Solution

Amid Israel’s intensified Gaza offensive and escalating violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, there is a growing sense of urgency to act now before the idea of a two-state solution vanishes forever.

“The decision that the President of the Republic will present this afternoon to the United Nations General Assembly is a symbolic, immediate, political decision that demonstrates France’s commitment to the two-state solution,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told television channel TF1.

France has driven the move, hoping that Macron’s announcement in July that he would recognise a Palestinian state would give greater momentum to a movement hitherto dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.

In Gaza, some Palestinians found little relief in statehood recognition as they fled Israeli attacks on Gaza City on Sunday.

“Even if countries such as Australia, Canada, and France —who are now among those initiating this recognition — acknowledge Palestine, I believe there will still be no serious pressure on Israel to grant the Palestinians their rights,” said displaced Palestinian Nabeel Jaber.

In Tel Aviv, Israelis said the Palestinians turned down many chances to establish a state in the past.

“We’ve offered them peace about five times. They could have agreed to any one of those, and they never, ever chose peace. So why do we need to choose peace with people who want to kidnap, murder, rape our people? I don’t think we need to do that,” said film student Tamara Raveh, 25.

On board was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, along with 11 other crew members including Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament.

The vessel, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), carried a modest consignment of humanitarian aid—baby formula and rice—intended for civilians in Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of looming famine and mass displacement following months of war.

Seized in International Waters

According to a statement by the FFC, Israeli forces boarded the vessel at around 2:00 a.m. local time while it was still in international waters. A dramatic image shared by the coalition shows crew members sitting with hands raised, illuminated by intense spotlights.

Israeli authorities later confirmed the interception, stating that the crew was unharmed and en route to the Israeli port of Ashdod. “The ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to Israeli shores. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,” wrote Israel’s Foreign Ministry on X (formerly Twitter).

The ministry added that the activists were “provided with sandwiches and water,” before bluntly concluding: “The show is over.”

Detentions and Defiance

The crew has reportedly been detained for interrogation. Rima Hassan posted on X, “The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m.,” reaffirming their resolve by sharing the image of the crew’s detention.

In response, climate activist Greta Thunberg has yet to issue a direct statement, but supporters have called the seizure a blatant act of aggression against peaceful humanitarian efforts.

The Israeli Defense Ministry, however, defended the operation. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he had authorized the naval action to prevent what he labeled a “propaganda exercise supporting Hamas,” and confirmed that the intercepted aid would be routed through “official humanitarian channels.”

A Polarizing Mission

The Madleen’s voyage was never about scale—it carried only a symbolic amount of aid. But its intent was powerful: to highlight the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and challenge the legality and morality of Israel’s long-standing naval blockade.

Israel has enforced the blockade since 2007, after Hamas seized control of the coastal enclave. While Israel and its allies justify the measure as essential to preventing arms smuggling, critics argue it constitutes collective punishment against Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

The situation has worsened dramatically since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and led to the abduction of more than 250 individuals, according to Israeli sources.

In response, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians and displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s population, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

International Support and Condemnation

The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, voiced strong support for the flotilla’s efforts.

In a post on X, she wrote, “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza.”

Hamas condemned the seizure of the vessel, calling it “state terrorism” and saluting the activists for their “moral courage” and “solidarity with the oppressed.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed a provocative plan to show the detained activists videos of the October 7 Hamas attacks upon their arrival at Ashdod Port. “They need to see what they are defending,” he declared.

A Legacy of Flotillas

The interception of the Madleen echoes earlier flotilla efforts to challenge Israel’s blockade. The most infamous incident occurred in 2010, when Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish vessel, killing ten activists in an operation that strained Israel’s diplomatic ties with Turkey and ignited international outrage.

While this week’s operation ended without violence, it has once again exposed the raw tensions surrounding Gaza and the sharply diverging narratives around activism, security, and human rights.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said its mission is far from over. “We are not deterred. More ships will sail. The people of Gaza are not forgotten,” it said in a statement.

Aid Symbolism vs. Political Narrative

Though the Madleen carried only a symbolic quantity of aid, its interception has transformed it into a powerful political message. For supporters of Gaza, it represents solidarity against a prolonged humanitarian siege. For Israel, it is a line that cannot be crossed without invoking national security concerns.

This confrontation, once again, places the international community at a crossroads: should symbolic activism be embraced as a tool to spotlight suffering, or be condemned as a political stunt that complicates diplomacy and security?

Whatever the answer, the image of Greta Thunberg—more often associated with climate marches and UN podiums—being escorted by naval forces in a geopolitical flashpoint, has thrust the Gaza crisis back into the global spotlight.