{"id":57706,"date":"2025-06-08T19:17:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T19:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/israel-warns-it-will-stop-aid-flotilla-reaching-gaza\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T19:17:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T19:17:00","slug":"israel-warns-it-will-stop-aid-flotilla-reaching-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=57706","title":{"rendered":"Israel warns it will stop aid flotilla reaching Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Andr\u00e9 Rhoden-Paul<\/span><\/p>\n
BBC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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EPA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Israel has warned its military will “take whatever measures are necessary” to prevent a boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. <\/p>\n
The Madleen yacht is 160 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip and is attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the territory. <\/p>\n
Defence Minister Israel Katz said the 12-strong crew, which includes climate protester Greta Thunberg, should turn back and that Israel will act against any attempt to breach the blockade.<\/p>\n
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said the vessel, which departed Sicily on Friday, was carrying humanitarian aid and was “prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Katz said the blockade’s purpose was to “prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas” and was essential to Israel’s security as it seeks to destroy the Palestinian armed group Hamas. <\/p>\n
He warned in a post on X on Sunday: “I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act to prevent the ‘Madeleine’ [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza – and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end.”<\/p>\n
Addressing the crew directly, he added: “To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.<\/p>\n
“Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations \u2013 at sea, in the air, and on land.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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The FFC characterised the minister’s statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and “attempting to justify that violence with smears”. <\/p>\n
“We will not be intimidated. The world is watching,” FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said. <\/p>\n
“The Madleen is a civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters, carrying humanitarian aid and human rights defenders from across the globe… Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza.”<\/p>\n
The group added that the vessel had earlier experienced temporary signal jamming, causing its location to appear near Jordan.<\/p>\n
The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the group said. <\/p>\n
People from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are onboard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Israeli media say its navy is expected to block the boat before it reaches Gaza. <\/p>\n
“We will calmly take control of the ship, bring them to Israel, and deport them abroad that same night,” an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post. <\/p>\n
In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded Turkish ship Mavi Marmara that was leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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It is almost 20 months since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.<\/p>\n
At least 54,880 people have been killed in Gaza since, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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