Israel orders military to block Gaza-bound aid ship 'Madleen'

Tel Aviv (Web Desk/Agencies): Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday directed the military to prevent a charity vessel carrying activists, including Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg, from reaching Gaza in defiance of the ongoing Israeli naval blockade.

The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), departed from Sicily on June 6 and is now navigating slowly near the Egyptian coastline en route to the besieged Palestinian territory.

In a firm statement, Katz announced his order to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to stop the vessel, singling out Thunberg and her fellow activists with a warning that they would not be allowed to arrive in Gaza.

Thunberg, who joined the mission to protest what she described as Israel’s “illegal siege and escalating war crimes,” said the voyage also aimed to spotlight the dire need for humanitarian relief in the region.

She dismissed Israel’s past claims accusing her of antisemitism. Gaza health officials report that more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign, with widespread destruction across the enclave.

The United Nations (UN) has raised alarms that the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face im

minent famine. Katz defended the blockade as a crucial security measure designed to prevent arms shipments to Hamas, reaffirming Israel’s commitment to stopping any breach by sea.

The Madleen carries a small amount of humanitarian aid, such as rice and baby formula, according to the FFC.

Spokesperson Hay Sha Wiya stated on Sunday that the vessel was approximately 160 nautical miles, or 296 kilometers, from its destination and that the crew was prepared for the possibility of being stopped.

Alongside Thunberg, the boat hosts eleven other passengers, including French European Parliament member Rima Hassan.Reports in Israeli media suggest that military forces are ready to intercept the yacht and redirect it to the Israeli port of Ashdod, after which the activists would be deported.

This mission draws echoes of the deadly 2010 incident when Israeli forces killed ten people during a raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was also part of a flotilla attempting to break the Gaza blockade.