‘Ditch the phones': Israel boards Gaza charity boat with Greta Thunberg on board
'You should turn back'
On Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the boat to be stopped and that no one would be allowed to break the naval blockade of Gaza, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms.
'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',' Katz said in a statement.
The British-flagged vessel left Sicily a week ago with 12 people on board, including Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament who is of Palestinian descent.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said its aim was to break the blockade and deliver a token amount of aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war.
After an 11-week blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel began to allow some basic aid into Gaza last month and set up a new distribution system using a controversial new aid group, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive.
Loading
On Sunday, the Israeli Army said it had recovered the body of Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander who was killed in a May 13 airstrike at a Gaza hospital.
Sinwar's remains were found in a tunnel beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to the Israeli military.
Additional bodies were found at the site and were being examined, the military said.
Hamas has yet to acknowledge the death of Sinwar, the brother and successor of deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attacks that triggered the devastating war in Gaza. Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar in October 2024.
Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said at least 12 people were killed and others wounded by Israeli fire in Gaza on Sunday as they headed towards two aid distribution points.
Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new aid hubs where thousands of Palestinians, desperate after 20 months of war, are being directed to collect food.
In all, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said. Israel's military said it had struck dozens of militant targets over the past day.
Loading
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 doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of the territory's population, leaving people there almost completely dependent on international aid.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
32 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Foreign Minister Penny Wong reveals Australian sanctions against Israeli Ministers for 'inciting violence against Palestinians'
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has announced the Australian government will officially sanction two Israeli Ministers for "inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank". In a late night press release, Senator Wong revealed Australia, alongside Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom, had moved to impose sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Mr Ben-Gvir acts as Israel's National Security Minister and Mr Smotrich as the nation's Finance Minister. Both are among the hardline, pro-settlement faction with the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and have repeatedly advocated for Israel to expand its controversial operations in the West Bank. In the Foreign Minister's statement, both Ministers are accused of encouraging settler violence toward Palestinians in the territory, with the Australian government freezing assets linked to the pair in the country as well as imposing travel bans. "Settler violence is incited by extremist rhetoric which calls for Palestinians to be driven from their homes, encourages violence and human rights abuses and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution," the statement read. "Settler violence has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole communities. "Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. "Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous. These actions are not acceptable." The move is likely to spark outrage in Israel, which has long defended its actions in the West Bank despite international pressure to end the construction of illegal settlements in the region. It is also set to place further scrutiny on Labor, which has come under intense criticism from Jewish groups over its response to the war in Gaza and the rise of antisemitic incidents in Australia. The government was quick to claim its decision did not detract from its support of Israel, with the statement adding Australia wanted to continue "a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on our shared ties, values and commitment to their security and future". "The measures announced today do not deviate from our unwavering support for Israel's security and we continue to condemn the horrific terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas," the statement read. "Today's measures are targeted towards individuals who in our view undermine Israel's own security and its standing in the world." This is a developing story, more to come.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
War in Gaza 'hurts my whole body', says Man City boss Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the war in Gaza "hurts my whole body" as he delivered an emotional speech while being honoured by the University of Manchester. Guardiola, 54, was speaking as he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester on Monday. "It's so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts my whole body," Guardiola said in excerpts of his speech shared on social media. "Let me be clear, it's not about ideology. It's not about whether I'm right, or you're wrong. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour." Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza after the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 54,981 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. "Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it's not a hospital anymore, it's not our business," Guardiola. "Yes, fine, we can think about that, it's not our business. But be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four or five-year-old kids will be ours. "Sorry, but I see my kids, Maria, Marius and Valentina when I see every morning, since the nightmare started, the infants in Gaza, and I'm so scared." Guardiola has not shied away from voicing political views in the past, throwing his weight behind the campaign for Catalan independence. He was awarded the honorary degree by the University of Manchester for his unprecedented success at City, where he has won six Premier League titles, as well as his work through his family foundation, the Guardiola Sala Foundation. The organsisation takes part in "established projects which strive to support the most disadvantaged". Others within football have spoken out on Gaza. In October 2023, Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah called on "world leaders to come together to "prevent further slaughter of innocent souls". The following month Bundesliga club Mainz sacked Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi, now at Cardiff, over social media posts related to the conflict. jw/jkb/pi
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Australia imposes Magnitsky-style sanctions on two hardline Israeli ministers
Australia has imposed Magnitsky-style sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers for their roles in serious human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, in a move that marks a significant escalation in Canberra's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have been subjected to targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, effective from Tuesday, June 11. The two hardline figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government are accused of inciting and supporting systemic violence against Palestinians and aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements. The sanctions align Australia with Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom, which jointly issued a statement condemning the ministers' conduct and reaffirming their commitment to a two-state solution. 'We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution… but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion,' the joint statement read. 'Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.' Under Australia's Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011, such measures can be applied against individuals responsible for serious violations of human rights, including the right to life, protection from torture, and freedom from slavery. The sanctions carry significant legal weight, with Australians found to be dealing with the sanctioned individuals' assets facing penalties of up to ten years' imprisonment or fines reaching $825,000. Both Israeli ministers have long been outspoken proponents of the settlement movement and the ongoing war in Gaza. Smotrich, who oversees the Settlements Administration, has approved sweeping expansions of settlements. On May 29, Israel announced 22 new outposts in the West Bank, marking the largest expansion in decades. Analysts say the move is designed to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Smotrich has also made inflammatory public remarks, including stating that Gaza 'will be entirely destroyed' and suggesting Palestinians be forced to emigrate. Last year, he indicated that the deaths of 2 million Palestinians by starvation in Gaza might be 'justified,' comments that drew rebukes from allies including Germany. Ben-Gvir, who controls Israeli police forces, has provided thousands of assault rifles to civilian settlers. He has publicly called for turning 'the world upside down' in support of settler militias. On May 26, he joined a far-right march through Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter, where chants of 'death to Arabs' were heard. He has also advocated for replacing the al-Aqsa mosque with a synagogue and encouraged the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.
