Israel has promised to stop a charity ship from entering the Gaza Strip with international activists and humanitarian aid, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) organized the British-flagged yacht Madleen, which left Sicily on June 6 and is presently sailing off the coast of Egypt, slowly making her way toward Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday instructed the military to stop the vessel. “I instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen does not reach Gaza,” Gallant said in a statement. He also directly addressed Thunberg and her fellow activists, calling them “antisemitic” and accusing them of promoting Hamas propaganda. “You’d better turn back, because you will not reach Gaza,” he warned.
Thunberg, who has denied accusations of antisemitism, said her participation aims to draw attention to what she described as Israel’s “illegal siege and escalating war crimes” in Gaza, and to highlight the urgent humanitarian needs of the civilian population. The boat’s voyage, she added, is a peaceful attempt to challenge the blockade imposed by Israel since 2007.
The FFC stated on Saturday that the Madleen had entered Egyptian waters and was approaching Gaza, as the war between Israel and Hamas entered its 21st month.
