Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday said he has instructed the military to stop the Madleen, an aid boat headed for Gaza with 12 activists on board.
Named after Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman in 2014, Madleen is a civilian ship sailing toward Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and international human rights defenders in direct “defiance of Israel’s illegal and genocidal blockade”.
“I have instructed the military to prevent the Madleen flotilla from reaching Gaza,” Israel Katz said in a statement from his office. “To Greta the antisemite and her companions, Hamas propaganda mouthpieces, I say clearly: turn back because you will not reach Gaza.”
Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists set off from Sicily on 1 June, carrying urgent supplies for besieged and starving Palestinians. The aid includes baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics.
Last month, another vessel organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the Conscience, failed to continue its journey after being struck by two drones near Maltese waters.
“We are currently about 160 nautical miles from Gaza. Earlier signal jamming briefly disrupted our location, but our tracker is functioning again. We remain calm and prepared in the face of possible Israeli aggression. We call on world governments to demand that Israel stand down. It has no right to obstruct our mission or enforce its illegal and brutal blockade.”
UN experts have called for safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship.
“As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship approaches Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, Israel must adhere to international law and comply with orders from the International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian aid,” they said.
