Madleen: Israel warns it will stop aid flotilla reaching Gaza
Israel has warned its military will "take whatever measures are necessary" to prevent a boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. The Madleen yacht is 160 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip and is attempting to challenge Israel's naval blockade of the territory. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the 12-strong crew, which includes climate protester Greta Thunberg, should turn back and that Israel will act against any attempt to breach the blockade.The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said the vessel, which departed Sicily on Friday, was carrying humanitarian aid and was "prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack".
Katz said the blockade's purpose was to "prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas" and was essential to Israel's security as it seeks to destroy the Palestinian armed group Hamas. He warned in a post on X on Sunday: "I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act to prevent the 'Madeleine' [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza - and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end."Addressing the crew directly, he added: "To the antisemitic 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."
The FFC characterised the minister's statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and "attempting to justify that violence with smears". "We will not be intimidated. The world is watching," FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said. "The Madleen is a civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters, carrying humanitarian aid and human rights defenders from across the globe... Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza."The group added that the vessel had earlier experienced temporary signal jamming, causing its location to appear near Jordan.The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the group said. People from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are onboard.
Israeli media say its navy is expected to block the boat before it reaches Gaza. "We will calmly take control of the ship, bring them to Israel, and deport them abroad that same night," an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded Turkish ship Mavi Marmara that was leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza.
It is almost 20 months since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.At least 54,880 people have been killed in Gaza since, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
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BBC News
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- BBC News
Israel says it has found body of Hamas military leader Mohammed Sinwar
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Freedom flotilla doubles down and says 'we will not turn back' as Israel issues chilling warning after vowing: 'Greta Thunberg won't make it to Gaza'
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She is joined by Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French MEP, aiming to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in the region. The vessel is expected to reach Gaza this weekend, having set off from Catania in Sicily last Sunday. But the Israel Defence Forces has now been ordered to stop the ship in its tracks and has accused Ms Thunberg of being an 'antisemite travelling with Hamas propogandists'. Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would not allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms. 'I have instructed the IDF to act so that the hate flotilla … does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take all necessary measures to that end '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,' he said. 'Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or to assist terrorist organisations – by sea, by air, and by land.' 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.' 'We are monitoring the situation closely,' the Freedom Flotilla Coalition 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.' 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 on Sunday afternoon saying someone appeared to be jamming their tracking and communication devices about 160 nautical miles from Gaza. Ms Hassan, 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. It was previously reported that the IDF had begun deploying security forces in the area the vessel was due to land in, according to the Jerusalem Post. A senior Israeli defence source told the outlet that Israel will not allow the ship to enter Gaza, and that the activists face arrest if they disobey the military. Military sources said the activists will be told clearly not to enter the area, and that the elite forces are preparing for the eventuality they defy the order or 'provoke' the IDF. 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In April, ActionAid reported that the price of flour in Gaza had soared to $300 a bag after more than 50 days without new aid deliveries. Most people are now surviving on a single meal per day, consisting mostly of pasta, rice or canned food, it reported. More than 3,700 children were newly admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in March alone, it said, an 80 per cent rise on the previous month, per UNOCHA. UN Security Council members criticised the US on Wednesday after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States - a key Israeli ally - also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting. The draft resolution had demanded 'an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties.' It also called for the 'immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups,' and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement after Wednesday's 14 to 1 vote: 'Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive UN Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel. 'The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the UN.' The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251. They are still holding 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
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Middle East category · June 8, 2025 · 2:39 PM EDT The Israeli army said on Sunday it had retrieved the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed Sinwar in an underground tunnel beneath a hospital in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation last month.
