IDF ordered to forestall Gaza-bound support send sporting Greta Thunberg

The Israeli defence minister has threatened to “take all necessary measures” to forestall a humanitarian send sporting local weather campaigner Greta Thunberg from attaining Gaza.

The Madleen, a ship operated by means of the activist staff Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), says it is making an attempt to achieve the shores of the territory to usher in a symbolic quantity of support and lift world consciousness of the continued humanitarian disaster.

But on Sunday, Israel Katz ordered the Israeli army to forestall the send from getting anyplace close to Gaza.

“I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act so that the hate flotilla … does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take all necessary measures to that end,” Katz mentioned in a observation.

“To the antisemitic Greta [Thunberg] and her friends who echo Hamas propaganda, I say clearly: You’d better turn back – because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or to assist terrorist organisations – by sea, by air, and by land.”

Thunberg, who has mentioned she is participating within the project “because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity”, has rejected earlier Israeli accusations of antisemitism.

On board the vessel along her are 10 different activists from Germany, France, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands. They come with Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament of Palestinian descent who has been barred from coming into Israel.

Responding to Katz on Sunday, they mentioned: “The statement by Israel’s defence minister is yet another example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians – and attempting to justify that violence with smears.

“We will not be intimidated,” it added. “The world is watching.”

As of Sunday night time, the Madleen, which left the port of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy, on 1 June, used to be roughly 160 nautical miles from Gaza.

“We are monitoring the situation closely,” the FFC mentioned. “We remain calm, resolute, and prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack. We reiterate our call to world governments to demand that Israel stand down. Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza.”

Israel’s blockade on Gaza has been in position for years, even prior to the Israel-Hamas struggle that erupted in October 2023 after the Hamas assaults on Israel wherein 1,200 other folks, most commonly civilians, had been killed and 251 other folks had been taken hostage.

It used to be moderately eased in mid-May after just about 3 months, permitting a restricted quantity of humanitarian support into the territory. But malnutrition is spreading, medics and support employees have warned, with UN officers describing Gaza as “the hungriest place on Earth”.

Katz mentioned on Sunday that the blockade used to be crucial to Israel’s nationwide safety because it seeks to break Hamas. “The State of Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas,” he mentioned.

More than 54,000 Palestinians have died all the way through Israel’s attack, in line with Gaza well being government, with a lot of the territory decreased to rubble.

Israel’s plan to pay attention meals supply in hubs guarded by means of non-public safety contractors and the Israeli army and supplied by means of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has proved to be chaotic and threatening, critics say.

At least 4 other folks had been killed and others wounded by means of Israeli fireplace on Sunday, a couple of kilometre from a meals distribution level in Gaza, Palestinian medics and officers mentioned. The deaths carry the quantity of people that were killed whilst looking for meals in Gaza since 27 May, when GHF was answerable for civilian meals provision, to 110. More than 1,000 were injured.

Israel mentioned it used to be anticipating to intercept the flotilla within the subsequent 48 hours.

Before leaving Sicily on board the Madleen, which is sporting a symbolic quantity of rice and toddler system, Thunberg advised newshounds: “We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying. Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And, no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the livestreamed genocide.”

Thunberg, who was an the world over well-known local weather activist after setting up protests in her local Sweden, have been because of board a prior Freedom Flotilla send, the Conscience, ultimate month. It used to be bombed by means of drones and disabled whilst in world waters off Malta because it headed against the Palestinian territory.