A Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted to Israel
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Foreign Ministry says a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted to Israel.
In a post on X, it said the boat 'is safely making its way to the shores of Israel.'
The passengers 'are expected to return to their home countries,' it added, without providing further details.
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Various UN and private agencies that had previously been co-ordinating aid distribution in Gaza expressed a strong willingness to resume their work, but Israel's government refused. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed that Hamas was stealing or diverting vast quantities of food aid, a claim that international agencies say is overstated. And yet the Crisis Group report says that, less than a month ago, the UN presented a "comprehensive" plan that addressed Israel's security concerns, with QR-coded cargo; sealed, GPS-tracked trucks; UN monitors at every crossing, and other precautions. Nearly 9,000 truckloads of aid were "sitting ready" in Egypt and Jordan, it says. Israel did not respond to the proposal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Netanyahu's office did not respond to further questions, which the Government Press Office said it had forwarded. Who precisely is providing money to pay for those GHF meals is also unclear. The statement provided by the group said it will not disclose its funding. Israel's government says it's not footing the foundation's bills, although some reports in Israeli media have suggested otherwise. The GHF is registered in Switzerland and the U.S. state of Delaware, although a BBC reporter who tried to track down the personnel behind the foundation was unable to make much progress. "No one's ponying up to the money, partially because of political and moral issues, but I think they're probably also concerned about legal issues," said Blecher. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November, accusing him of using starvation as a method of warfare and deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians. War goals Ceasefire talks involving Hamas and Israeli negotiators have been unable to end the conflict. The militant group — which attacked communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1200 people — has demanded Israel end its war in Gaza and withdraw its forces from the territory. Netanyahu says Israel's war aims remain unchanged: defeating Hamas, bringing back the remaining 25 or so living hostages from Gaza, and ensuring that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future. Still, even if Israel's military feels its war goals are getting closer, it's unclear how long the GHF's operations will be sustainable. The Crisis Group report underscores that while, technically, Gaza's population is probably not in a state of famine, most people there remain severely undernourished. The report notes that Israel's own military has set the threshold for avoiding malnutrition at 2,200 calories per person per day — while the GHF has promised to provide only 1,750. In such a state, Blecher, the report's author, says the population of Gaza cannot survive indefinitely. 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