JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the navy 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 stated in an announcement.
“To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting mates, I say clearly: You’d higher flip again, as a result of you’ll not attain Gaza.”
Local weather activist Thunberg stated she joined the Madleen crew to “problem Israel’s unlawful siege and escalating struggle crimes” in Gaza and spotlight the pressing want for humanitarian assist. She has rejected earlier Israeli accusations of antisemitism.
Israel went to struggle 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, based on Israeli tallies.
Greater than 54,000 Palestinians have died through the ongoing Israeli assault, based on 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 stated the blockade was important to Israel’s nationwide safety because it seeks to remove Hamas.
“The State of Israel is not going to enable anybody to interrupt the naval blockade on Gaza, whose main objective is to stop the switch of weapons to Hamas,” he stated.
