‘Turn back’: Israel orders military to block ‘antisemite’ Greta Thunberg-led aid boat from reaching Gaza

As Greta Thunberg sails towards Gaza with other activists carrying aid for people in war-torn Gaza, Israel on Sunday vowed to prevent the boat from entering the territory. Defence minister Israel Katz said that it wouldn’t allow the boat to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory. The naval blockade aimed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, he said.“I have instructed the military to prevent the Madleen flotilla from reaching Gaza,” Israel Katz said in a statement. “To Greta the antisemite and her companions, Hamas propaganda mouthpieces, I say clearly: turn back because you will not reach Gaza.” The vessel, Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, set sail from Sicily last Sunday to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and draw international attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region. The group said they intended to reach Gaza’s territorial waters by Sunday.Thunberg is among 12 activists onboard, along with Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament of Palestinian descent. Hassan has previously been barred from entering Israel due to her vocal opposition to Israeli policies toward Palestinians.The aid mission comes at a time when humanitarian groups are sounding the alarm over looming famine in Gaza. After imposing a complete blockade on the enclave for over three months, Israel began allowing limited aid to enter last month. However, aid agencies say it falls far short of what’s needed to address the crisis.This is not the first time the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has tried to reach Gaza by sea. A previous attempt in May ended in disaster after one of their vessels was struck by drones in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the ship’s front section.Despite the risks, the activists aboard Madleen say they are determined to complete their mission.