Activist Greta Thunberg sits aboard the assistance vessel Madleen, which near the Italian larboard of Catania connected June 1 to question to Gaza to present humanitarian aid, successful this representation released connected June 2, 2025, connected societal media.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition | Via Reuters
Israel's authorities connected Sunday vowed to forestall an assistance vessel carrying Greta Thunberg and different activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel wouldn't let anyone to interruption its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which helium said was aimed astatine preventing Hamas from importing arms.
"To the antisemitic Greta and her chap Hamas propagandists — I volition accidental this clearly: You should crook back, due to the fact that you volition not marque it to Gaza," helium said successful a statement.
Thunberg, a clime campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vas departed Sicily past Sunday connected a ngo that aims to interruption the oversea blockade of Gaza and present humanitarian aid, portion raising consciousness implicit the increasing humanitarian situation 20 months into the Israel-Hamas war.
The activists had said they planned to scope Gaza's territorial waters arsenic aboriginal arsenic Sunday.
Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activistic connected committee the boat, posted a video connected societal media Sunday day saying idiosyncratic appeared to beryllium jamming their tracking and connection devices astir 160 nautical miles from Gaza.
Rima Hassan, a French subordinate of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel due to the fact that of her absorption to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
After a 2 1/2-month full blockade aimed astatine pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing immoderate basal assistance into Gaza past month, but humanitarian workers person warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its subject offensive.
An effort past period by Freedom Flotilla to scope Gaza by oversea failed aft different of the group's vessels was attacked by 2 drones portion sailing successful planetary waters disconnected Malta. The radical blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the beforehand conception of the ship.
Israel and Egypt person imposed varying degrees of blockade connected Gaza since Hamas seized powerfulness from rival Palestinian forces successful 2007. Critics of the blockade accidental it amounts to corporate punishment of Gaza's astir 2 cardinal Palestinians.
Israel sealed Gaza disconnected from each assistance successful the aboriginal days of the warfare ignited by the Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, but aboriginal relented nether U.S. pressure. In aboriginal March, soon earlier Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the state again blocked each imports, including food, substance and medicine.
Hamas-led militants killed astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, successful the Oct. 7 onslaught and abducted 251 hostages, much than fractional of whom person since been released successful ceasefire agreements oregon different deals. Hamas is inactive holding 55 hostages, much than fractional of them believed to beryllium dead.
Israel's subject run has killed much than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children marque up astir of the dead. It doesn't accidental whether those killed are civilians oregon combatants.
The warfare has destroyed immense areas of Gaza and displaced astir 90% of the territory's population, leaving radical determination astir wholly babelike connected planetary aid.
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