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Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Israel orders military to block Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
Israel said the blockade was essential to Israel's national security as it seeks to eliminate Hamas. PHOTO: ALJAZEERA Listen to article Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told the military on Sunday to stop a charity boat carrying activists including Sweden's Greta Thunberg who are planning to defy an Israeli blockade and reach Gaza. Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 and is currently off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly towards the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel. 'I instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen … does not reach Gaza,' Katz said in a statement. 'To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting friends, I say clearly: You'd better turn back, because you will not reach Gaza.' Climate activist Thunberg said she joined the Madleen crew to 'challenge Israel's illegal siege and escalating war crimes' in Gaza and highlight the urgent need for humanitarian aid. She has rejected previous Israeli accusations of antisemitism. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli assault, according to Gaza health authorities, with much of the Palestinian territory reduced to rubble. The U.N. has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine. Katz said the blockade was essential to Israel's national security as it seeks to eliminate Hamas. 'The State of Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas,' he said. The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the FFC has said. FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said on Sunday the boat was currently some 160 nautical miles (296 km) from Gaza. 'We are preparing for the possibility of interception,' she said. Besides Thunberg, there are 11 other crew members aboard, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. Israeli media have reported that the military plans to intercept the yacht before it reaches Gaza and escort it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The crew would then be deported. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, that was leading a small flotilla towards Gaza.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Spain hosts European, Arab nations for talks on halting Israel's Gaza offensive
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares urged decisive international action to end the conflict and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. PHOTO: ALJAZEERA Listen to article Spain has called for international sanctions against Israel as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsens, with famine looming and aid deliveries severely restricted amid ongoing Israeli bombardments. The appeal came ahead of a high-level meeting in Madrid on Sunday involving 20 countries and key international organisations. The talks — the fifth official gathering of the so-called Madrid Group — are being held as part of growing international efforts to halt the war and pave the way toward a two-state solution. Participating nations include both European and Arab states, alongside representatives from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Speaking ahead of the summit, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the international community must act decisively to stop the conflict and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. 'In this terrible moment, in this humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, we aim to stop this war and break the blockade of humanitarian assistance,' Albares told Al Jazeera, warning that sanctions must now be considered. 'We must do everything, consider everything to stop this war.' The meeting comes amid mounting pressure on Israel, including from European Union countries once seen as close allies. The EU this week announced it would review its cooperation agreement with Israel, citing the dire situation in Gaza. Gaza's humanitarian crisis has been intensified by a nearly three-month aid blockade. Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced plans to allow limited aid into Gaza, the United Nations has described current deliveries — roughly 100 trucks since Wednesday — as vastly insufficient. Aid agencies say 500 to 600 trucks a day are required to meet the basic needs of the population. Some humanitarian organisations have dismissed Netanyahu's announcement as a "smokescreen," accusing Israel of maintaining tight restrictions that have led to severe shortages of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. Israel's military campaign, launched in response to Hamas's October 7 attack in 2023, has devastated the Gaza Strip. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, nearly 54,000 people — mostly women and children — have been killed since the conflict began. Germany's Deputy Foreign Minister Florian Hahn, speaking in Madrid, echoed calls for an immediate ceasefire. 'The situation is unbearable,' he said, adding that ending the war and establishing a diplomatic path forward is now a key priority of German foreign policy. Eyes on two-state solution Sunday's Madrid talks are also aimed at building momentum ahead of a UN-hosted conference on the two-state solution, scheduled for June 17 in New York. France and Saudi Arabia will co-host that event, which is expected to focus on broader international recognition of a Palestinian state. 'We want to create momentum ahead of the UN conference so that everyone can recognise Palestine as an independent state,' Albares said. The previous Madrid Group meeting, held last year, included countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Norway, and Ireland — several of which have formally recognised Palestinian statehood. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Madrid, described Sunday's gathering as 'crucial,' with participants seeking ways to bring both Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. 'This is a moment where diplomacy must lead,' Albares concluded, calling for an immediate end to a war that, he said, 'no longer has any goal.'
