Israel vows to stop aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has vowed to block an aid vessel carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching Gaza, by 'any means necessary.'
The "Madleen" departed Sicily last Sunday, aiming to breach Israel's naval blockade on Gaza, deliver humanitarian aid, and draw attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
According to a live tracker on board the vessel, it was sailing north of the Egyptian coastal city of Rosetta on Sunday morning, roughly 300 miles from Gaza.
Katz said Sunday that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to 'prevent the 'Madelaine' hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza."
'To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back — because you will not reach Gaza,' he posted on Telegram.
'Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or aid terrorist organizations — at sea, in the air and on land.'
Among those on board the ship are " Game of Thrones" actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament of Palestinian descent, who has been barred from entering Israel over her opposition to its military campaign in Gaza.
'We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying,' Thunberg said last week.
'Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide.'
Israel has adamantly rejected allegations of genocide.
following warnings of rising starvation in the enclave, in mid-May, Israel began to allow basic aid into Gaza, lifting an almost three-month complete blockade the entry of food, medicine and other vital supplies.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was tasked with distributing aid in the enclave as part of a new U.S.- and Israel-backed plan, but its first two weeks in operation have been marred by controversy. Health officials say that dozens of Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at GHF distribution points.
And experts have warned that Gaza is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in.
A previous attempt by the Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza failed last month after one of its ships was struck by two drones in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the vessel's bow.
The Israeli government says the blockade is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages it took during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage, marking a major escalation in a decadeslong conflict.
Since then, more than 54,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave, which has been run by Hamas since 2007.
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The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Israel Katz threatens to use ‘all necessary measures' to stop Gaza bound aid ship
The Israeli defence minister has threatened to 'take all necessary measures' to prevent a humanitarian ship carrying climate campaigner Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza. The 'Madleen', a boat operated by the activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), says it is attempting to reach the shores of the territory to bring in a symbolic amount of aid and raise international awareness of the continuing humanitarian crisis. But on Sunday, Israel Katz ordered the Israeli military to stop the ship from getting anywhere near Gaza. 'I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act so that the hate flotilla … does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take all necessary measures to that end,' the defence minister said in a statement. 'To the antisemitic Greta [Thunberg] and her friends who echo Hamas propaganda, I say clearly: You'd better turn back – because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or to assist terrorist organisations – by sea, by air, and by land.' Thunberg, who has said she is taking part in the mission 'because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity', has rejected previous Israeli accusations of antisemitism. On board the vessel alongside her are the Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and 10 other activists from Germany, France, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands. They include Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament of Palestinian descent who has been barred from entering Israel. Responding to Katz on Sunday, they said: 'The statement by Israel's defence minister is yet another example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians – and attempting to justify that violence with smears. 'We will not be intimidated,' it added. 'The world is watching.' As of Sunday evening, the Madleen, which left the port of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy, on 1 June, was approximately 160 nautical miles from Gaza. 'We are monitoring the situation closely,' the FFC said. 'We remain calm, resolute, and prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack. We reiterate our call to world governments to demand that Israel stand down. Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza.' Israel's blockade on Gaza has been in place for years, even before the Israel-Hamas war that erupted in October 2023 after the Hamas attacks on Israel in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 people were taken hostage. It was slightly eased in mid-May after nearly three months, allowing a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the territory. But malnutrition is spreading, medics and aid workers have warned, with UN officials describing Gaza as 'the hungriest place on Earth'. Katz said on Sunday that the blockade was essential to Israel's national security as it seeks to destroy Hamas. 'The State of Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas,' he said. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during Israel's assault, according to Gaza health authorities, with much of the territory reduced to rubble. Israel's plan to concentrate food delivery in hubs guarded by private security contractors and the Israeli military and provided by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has proved to be chaotic and dangerous, critics say. At least four people were killed and others wounded by Israeli fire on Sunday, about a kilometre from a food distribution point in Gaza, Palestinian medics and officials said. The deaths bring the number of people who have been killed while trying to find food in Gaza since 27 May, when GHF became responsible for civilian food provision, to 110. More than 1,000 have been injured. Israel said it was expecting to intercept the flotilla in the next 48 hours. Before leaving Sicily on board the Madleen, which is carrying a symbolic amount of rice and infant formula, Thunberg told reporters: 'We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying. Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And, no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the livestreamed genocide.' Thunberg, who became an internationally famous climate activist after organising protests in her native Sweden, had been due to board a previous Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, last month. It was bombed by drones and disabled while in international waters off Malta as it headed towards the Palestinian territory.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
IDF told to 'take whatever measures necessary' to stop Greta Thunberg aid boat from reaching Gaza
Israel's defence minister has threatened to "take whatever measures necessary" to stop an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza. The climate campaigner, 22, is one of a dozen activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily last Sunday on a mission aiming to break Israel 's sea blockade. The activists have said they plan to reach Gaza 's territorial waters as early as Sunday to deliver humanitarian aid. But in a post on X, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said he has instructed the IDF to prevent the vessel reaching the shore and to "take whatever measures necessary". Addressing Thunberg and the other activists, he said: "You should turn back - because you will not reach Gaza." He wrote: "I have instructed the IDF to act so that the 'Madeleine' hate flotilla does not reach the shores of Gaza - and to take any means necessary to that end. "To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back - because you will not reach Gaza. "Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations - at sea, in the air and on land." 2:38 Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who is of Palestinian descent, is also on the boat, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israel's policies towards Palestinians. Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month after a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas and preventing the group from importing arms. But humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless there is an end to the blockade and the 20-month war, which was ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 Oct 2023. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group's vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
Daily Mail
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