Greta Thunberg and team face resistance, Israel vows to prevent aid boat from entering Gaza
Greta Thunberg, a renowned activist, and her team are aboard the Madleen, a vessel en route to Gaza with aid and assistance. However, their journey may not see fruition as the Israeli government has vowed not to let the vessel enter the war-torn region.
According to Defense Minister Israel Katz' recent announcement, Israel will not be removing their naval blockage of the Palestinian region at any cost. This blockade was strategized in the first place to reportedly prevent Hamas from importing arms and ammunition.
'To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists — I will say this clearly: You should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza,' Katz said in a statement.
The Madleen, a vessel carrying Thunberg and 11 other activists, departed Sicily last Sunday with the aim to break the naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid there. They are also planning on raising awareness about the ongoing humanitarian crisis due to the Israel-Hamas war, according to an AP report.
"The activists had said they planned to reach Gaza's territorial waters as early as Sunday. Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist on board the boat, posted a video on social media Sunday afternoon saying someone appeared to be jamming their tracking and communication devices about 160 nautical miles from Gaza," The AP report reads.
"Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians," the report continues.
There have been previous attempts to supply humanitarian aid by sea, but it has failed due to the naval blockade by Israel. Activists are now warning about the possibility of famine unless the sea blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive against Gaza. Israel had begun to slowly allow some humanitarian aid after a "2½-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas," but it appears not to be enough in the ongoing crisis.
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