JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the army on Sunday (Jun 8) to cease a charity boat carrying activists together with Sweden’s Greta Thunberg who’re planning to defy an Israeli blockade and attain Gaza.
Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 and is at present off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly in the direction of the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel.
“I instructed the IDF to behave in order that the Madleen … doesn’t attain Gaza,” Katz mentioned in an announcement.
“To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting pals, I say clearly: You’d higher flip again, as a result of you’ll not attain Gaza.”
Local weather activist Thunberg mentioned she joined the Madleen crew to “problem Israel’s unlawful siege and escalating conflict crimes” in Gaza and spotlight the pressing want for humanitarian assist. She has rejected earlier Israeli accusations of antisemitism.
Israel went to conflict with Hamas in October 2023 after the Islamist militants launched a shock assault on southern Israel, killing extra 1,200 individuals and taking 251 hostages again to the enclave, in response to Israeli tallies.
Greater than 54,000 Palestinians have died in the course of the ongoing Israeli assault, in response to Gaza well being authorities, with a lot of the Palestinian territory diminished to rubble. The UN has warned that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk of famine.
Katz mentioned the blockade was important to Israel’s nationwide safety because it seeks to remove Hamas.
“The State of Israel won’t enable anybody to interrupt the naval blockade on Gaza, whose main goal is to forestall the switch of weapons to Hamas,” he mentioned.
