Israel’s government has ordered the country’s military to intercept the humanitarian ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists to Gaza and stop it from reaching the embattled territory.
“I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act so that the Madleen does not reach Gaza, and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end,” Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement published on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, referring to the vessel carrying the Swedish activist.
Why It Matters
Israel’s 11-week blockade of aid into Gaza was condemned by activists, NGOs and even some of the country’s closest allies, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government repeatedly ignored calls to ensure Palestinians in the occupied territory receive enough food and humanitarian assistance to avoid starvation.
While Israel has recently allowed aid into Gaza under the management of U.S. contractors, the delivery of lifesaving essentials to the Palestinian population has been botched, with several people being killed by Israeli gunfire in a series of incidents at an aid distribution center.
The U.N.’s humanitarian chief said that the aid allowed into the Gaza Strip now by Israel was just “a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed.”
Thunberg, possibly the most prominent climate activist in the world, is onboard the Madleen flotilla together with 15 other people to bring aid to Gaza directly, picking up where she says Western governments are failing. But the success of the humanitarian aid ship’s mission is in doubt as the Israeli government shows a strong hostility to the activists’ plan.
What To Know
According to the latest update provided by the crew aboard the ship, Thunberg and her fellow activists were getting closer to Gaza and had reached Egypt on Saturday after having left from Catania, Italy, a week ago.
The activists, who come from several countries across Europe and the world, expect to broadcast their arrest once they reach Gaza. They may not make it that far, based on Katz’s statement.
Already the human rights group operating the ship, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), reported that drones have been flying over the vessel for hours.
Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images
In a video published on Instagram, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who is aboard the ship, said that the activists’ best defense is their visibility.
“We are just 12 people here. We carry all the aid we can. We carry food, medicine, crutches. We carry prosthetics for amputated children. We carry water filters and everything else we could but, of course, it’s a drop in the ocean for the necessities of Gaza,” he said.
“The best security measure we have is visibility. It is you sharing, you pressuring your nation states, pressuring your governments for them to pressure for a safe passage.”
A previous journey planned by the FFC, which should have picked up Thunberg in Malta, was canceled in early May after the group said the boat came under attack by drones in international waters near the Mediterranean island.
What People Are Saying
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X: “To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas-propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back—because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations—at sea, in the air, and on land.”
In a statement published on Instagram, Humanti Project, a grassroots collective advocating for Palestinian liberation, wrote: “The Madleen is sailing toward Gaza with unarmed civilian and humanitarian aid. Israel has threatened to attack. We must act now.”
It added: “The Flotilla is not a threat—it is a lifeline. The only threat here is Israel’s brutal enforcement of a blockade, and its genocide of the Palestinian people that has turned Gaza into a death camp.”
In a recent video published on Instagram, Greta Thunberg said: “What is happening in Gaza right now is unprecedented, and we do not accept this genocide…There can be no climate justice on occupied land. No climate justice without social justice.”
She told Al Jazeera this week: “We will try to break the siege and open humanitarian corridors to Gaza.
What Happens Next
The situation is now critical in Gaza since Israeli authorities stopped humanitarian aid entering the territory 11 weeks ago. Netanyahu lifted the aid blockade saying that a “starvation crisis” would damage his country’s global standing—but it remains to be seen how its reputation would be hit should the Israeli military use force to prevent Thunberg’s ship from reaching Gaza.