TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s defense minister is determined to stop a ship carrying Greta Thunberg and activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israel will not permit anyone to breach the naval blockade around the Palestinian territory. The blockade’s purpose, according to Katz, is to prevent Hamas from obtaining weapons.
Greta Thunberg, known for her climate activism, is one of 12 activists on the Madleen, a boat operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Departing from Sicily the previous Sunday, the mission of the vessel is to challenge the maritime blockade of Gaza, provide humanitarian aid, and draw attention to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian region.
The activists had said they planned to reach Gaza’s territorial waters as early as Sunday.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
After a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade and the war end.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
