Israel has faced international condemnation and protests after its forces intercepted around 40 boats carrying aid and more than 400 foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, to Gaza.

Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats, verified by Reuters, showed armed Israeli soldiers sporting helmets and night vision goggles boarding the ships, while passengers huddled together in life vests with their hands up.

A video from the Israeli foreign ministry showed Sweden's Thunberg, the most prominent of the flotilla's passengers, sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers.

Thunberg, 22, best known for her environmental protests, had pre-recorded a video which was released on her behalf after her ship was boarded.

"If you are watching this video, I have been abducted and

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