'You will not reach Gaza': Israel vows to block activist flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Palestine
Israel has vowed to prevent a flotilla of activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, from arriving in Gaza to deliver aid.
Israel has vowed a flotilla of activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, will "not reach Gaza" to deliver aid.
Activist group the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has launched several ships toward the besieged territory in recent months with the dual aims of delivering aid to starving Palestinians and raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.
A vessel carrying 12 activists is nearing the Gazan coast, having departed Sicily last Sunday, local time, after another ship failed to make it through Israel's blockade of the region last month.
The Madleen has pressed onward despite warnings from Israel about the consequences of attempting to reach Gaza, prompting Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz to issue a scathing statement to those aboard.
"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," he wrote in a social media post.
"Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air, and on land." — ישר×ל ×›â€×¥ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) June 8, 2025
Israel's Defence Minister warned he had instructed the nation's military to take "whatever measures are necessary" to prevent the arrival of the vessel and any other members of what he labelled the "hate flotilla".
Israel says its blockade of Palestine is designed to prevent Hamas militants from importing arms used to attack its citizens and continue the war in Gaza.
However, critics argue it also serves as a form of collective punishment for the roughly two million Gazans living in the strip, while humanitarian workers have claimed it is contributing to the risk of a widespread famine.
Gaza was almost entirely sealed off from aid for much of the early conflict sparked by Hamas' horrific October 7 attacks on Israel, but some humanitarian assistance was later allowed to enter the territory following pressure from the United States government.
The ending of a ceasefire agreement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early March again saw aid all but cut off, sparking fresh warnings of a humanitarian crisis.
Israel has repeatedly denied suggestions the blockade risks creating a famine in Gaza and insisted adequate aid is allowed to enter the territory.
Despite this, activists have continued to call for Israel to lift the blockade.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has been amongst the most vocal of those trying to pressure the Israeli government into changing course.
Its vessels have sailed to ports around Europe advocating on behalf of Palestinians, as well as making efforts to sail past the blockade.
One ship was subsequently damaged in a drone attack, with the activist group blaming the strike on Israel.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Israel vows to block aid boat from reaching Gaza Strip
Israel's government has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. Defence 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. "To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists - I will say this clearly: you should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza," he said in a statement. Thunberg, a climate campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war. The activists had said they planned to reach the Gaza Strip'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 the strip. 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. After a two and a half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into the Gaza Strip last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israeli forces ends their military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip 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. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Critics of the blockade say it amounts to collective punishment of the territory's roughly two million Palestinians. Israel sealed the Gaza Strip off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. Israel's government has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. Defence 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. "To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists - I will say this clearly: you should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza," he said in a statement. Thunberg, a climate campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war. The activists had said they planned to reach the Gaza Strip'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 the strip. 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. After a two and a half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into the Gaza Strip last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israeli forces ends their military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip 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. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Critics of the blockade say it amounts to collective punishment of the territory's roughly two million Palestinians. Israel sealed the Gaza Strip off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. Israel's government has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. Defence 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. "To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists - I will say this clearly: you should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza," he said in a statement. Thunberg, a climate campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war. The activists had said they planned to reach the Gaza Strip'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 the strip. 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. After a two and a half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into the Gaza Strip last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israeli forces ends their military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip 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. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Critics of the blockade say it amounts to collective punishment of the territory's roughly two million Palestinians. Israel sealed the Gaza Strip off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. Israel's government has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. Defence 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. "To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists - I will say this clearly: you should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza," he said in a statement. Thunberg, a climate campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war. The activists had said they planned to reach the Gaza Strip'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 the strip. 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. After a two and a half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into the Gaza Strip last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israeli forces ends their military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip 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. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Critics of the blockade say it amounts to collective punishment of the territory's roughly two million Palestinians. Israel sealed the Gaza Strip off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
Canberra Times
4 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Israel vows to block aid boat from reaching Gaza Strip
"To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists - I will say this clearly: you should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza," he said in a statement.
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Israel vows to block aid boat from reaching Gaza Strip
Israel's government has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip. Defence 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. "To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists - I will say this clearly: you should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza," he said in a statement. Thunberg, a climate campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war. The activists had said they planned to reach the Gaza Strip'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 the strip. 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. After a two and a half month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into the Gaza Strip last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israeli forces ends their military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip 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. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Critics of the blockade say it amounts to collective punishment of the territory's roughly two million Palestinians. Israel sealed the Gaza Strip off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
