The Voice News: JERUSALEM – Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday instructed the military to prevent a humanitarian aid yacht, carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and others, from reaching the Gaza Strip.
The yacht, Madleen, sails under a British flag and is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). It departed from Sicily on June 6 and is currently off the Egyptian coast, slowly approaching Gaza.
Katz said Israel would not allow the vessel to break its naval blockade of Gaza, calling it essential to national security and aimed at preventing weapons from reaching Hamas.
“To Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting friends, I say clearly: turn back—you will not reach Gaza,” Katz declared, accusing Thunberg of antisemitism, a charge she has denied.
Thunberg said she joined the voyage to protest what she described as Israel’s “illegal siege and escalating war crimes” and to draw attention to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
The Madleen is carrying symbolic aid, including rice and baby formula, according to FFC. FFC spokesperson Hay Sha Wiya reported the boat was approximately 160 nautical miles (296 km) from Gaza and said the crew was preparing for possible interception.
The 12-person crew includes Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. Israeli media reports suggest the military plans to intercept the yacht and escort it to the port of Ashdod, after which the crew will be deported.
In 2010, a similar flotilla attempt ended violently when Israeli forces boarded the Mavi Marmara, killing 10 activists on board.
Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023, over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials. The U.N. warns that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now at risk of famine.
