Israel threatens to block arrival of activist ship Madleen in Gaza
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the military not to allow a sailing ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists to enter the Gaza Strip.
'Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip,' Katz said in a statement on X.
He said he had ordered the armed forces to prevent the arrival of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's ship Madleen.
Addressing Thunberg and the 11 other activists on board, Katz said: 'You should turn back because you will not reach Gaza.'
The defence minister described the ship's crew as 'left-wing extremist activists.'He emphasized that the naval blockade of Gaza was introduced in 2007 after the Palestinian Hamas came to power.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says it wants to bring relief supplies, including baby food and medical supplies, to the desperate people in the devastated Gaza Strip, and has repeatedly emphasised that there are no weapons on board.
The activists also want to draw international attention to the humanitarian situation on the ground.
The Madleen set sail from Sicily a week ago and aims to reach the coast on Monday.
On Sunday afternoon, the ship was less than 300 kilometres from its destination, north of the Egyptian coast.
In videos posted on Instagram, the group has accused Israel of jamming its communication devices in order to intercept the ship or even prepare an attack. (DPA)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar holds ‘Narratives for Peace' meeting with Canada and Mexico
QNA New York Qatar held a consultative meeting with Canada and Mexico, co-chairs of the Working Group on 'Narratives for Peace', which was established as part of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. The meeting took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani represented Qatar at the meeting. Discussions focused on the importance of promoting peace-supportive narratives to foster a positive environment conducive to advancing peace efforts and to strengthening prospects for a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-state solution.
Qatar Tribune
4 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Ukraine, Russia exchange second group of POWs
Kiev/Moscow: Ukraine and Russia exchanged a second group of prisoners of war on Tuesday under an agreement reached in Istanbul earlier this month. The group of Ukrainian prisoners consisted of seriously ill and severely injured soldiers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. They will all receive immediate medical assistance, he said. Among them were members of the army, the National Guard, transport services and border guards, according to Zelensky. The Defence Ministry in Moscow confirmed that the exchange had taken place at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The Russian soldiers will be taken to Russia after a medical examination, the ministry said in a statement. Ukraine and Russia exchanged a first group of prisoners of war on Monday. (DPA)
Qatar Tribune
4 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Zelensky calls Orbán's support for Russia a ‘historic mistake'
dpa Budapest Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the anti-Ukraine policies and messaging of right-wing populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an 'historic mistake.' In an interview with the Hungarian outlet Válasz Online published on Tuesday, Zelensky accused Orbán of using propaganda against Ukraine to seek a domestic political advantage. 'He is using Ukraine for his own electoral purposes,' the Ukrainian president said. 'He does not understand that this will have much more serious and dangerous consequences. By not helping us, he is doing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a favour. That is why I said that Viktor is making a serious, historic mistake.' For weeks, Orbán's government has been running a billboard campaign against aid for Ukraine and opposing the country's accession to the European Union. The campaign's main message is that aid for Ukraine would drag Hungary into war and damage the economy.
