Israel decides to prevent Thunberg ship from entering Gaza
The Israeli military will not allow the humanitarian aid ship "Madleen" with Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg on board to enter the Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
The official instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take "all necessary measures" to prevent the ship from reaching the shores of Gaza.
"Israel will act against any attempts to break the blockade or aid terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air and on land," Katz said.
In the post, he calls Thunberg an anti-Semite and her associates "fellow Hamas propagandists," and says they should be turned back because they will not reach Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, to which the ship belongs, responded by writing that Katz is again "threatened unlawful force against civilians."
"The 'Madleen' is a peaceful civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters with humanitarian aid and human rights defenders. This mission is independent, guided only by conscience and solidarity with Gaza," the post says.
According to the organization, on the afternoon of June 8, the ship was 160 nautical miles (296.76 kilometers) from Gaza.
The Flotilla claims that the ship briefly experienced signal jamming, but the tracker later resumed operation.
This is not the first time the organization has tried to break through the Israeli blockade: a month ago, it said its ship was disabled by a drone strike, Bloomberg reports.
Israel suspended humanitarian aid trucks from entering Gaza in early March, when a six-week truce ended. The government says Hamas is intercepting civilian cargo to fund salaries and recruit fighters. However, under growing international pressure, Israel has allowed limited aid deliveries.
At the end of May, the Swiss Humanitarian Fund for Gaza, supported by the US and Israel, began distributing aid to the population without the participation of Hamas.
- Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and about 250 more were captured by militants. During this war, Israel was attacked by Hamas' allies Hezbollah and the Houthis, causing casualties and injuries among civilians, and the country retaliated. Also in 2024, Iran, which supports the above-mentioned groups, carried out two massive strikes against Israel.
- The Gaza Health Ministry in May 2024 reported over 35,000 deaths from the Israeli military operation. It should be noted that this agency is controlled by Hamas. At the same time, the UN also relies on this data, but only about 24,000 bodies have been identified.
- On May 31, 2025, the Israeli military confirmed the killing of Mohammed Sinwar, the head of the military wing of the Hamas group, which took place on the 13th.
